2017 OVC Men's Basketball Championship - Semifinals

3/3/2017 8:45:58 AM

#4 JACKSONVILLE STATE 65, #1 BELMONT 59
NASHVILLE - The Jacksonville State men's basketball team earned the program's first Ohio Valley Conference Championship finals berth Friday by way of a 65-59 semifinals victory over the No. 1 seeded Belmont.

The Gamecocks (19-14) shot an outstanding 58.3% (14-for-24) from the floor and 45.8% (11-for-24) from long range to pull off the monumental win over the Bruins (22-6). Along with guiding Jacksonville State to its second-most wins in Division I history, head coach Ray Harper also picked up his 450th career victory.

Point guard Malcolm Drumwright posted a game-best 21 points, while senior Greg Tucker had 11 points with a career-high tying six assists and junior Norbertas Giga finished with 11 points.

Drumwright helped the Gamecocks to an 11-point lead in the first half. The junior put up 11 points and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor in the period. Tucker and Giga each pitched in seven points to assist in a narrow 31-30 lead at the break.

Jacksonville State trailed by two, 20-18, just past the halfway point, and had been down by as many as five points prior. JSU then hit a 13-point run that led to a half-best 31-20 advantage. Tucker scored four during the double-digit sprint.

Despite tying the game 33-33 on an Amanze Egekeze three-pointer less than three minutes into the second half, the Bruins would cough up the lead and never regain it. Giga put the Gamecocks ahead 35-33 with a jumper on their next trip down the court to regain the lead. JSU never led by less than two points for the remainder of the game.

#2 UT MARTIN 73, #7 MURRAY STATE 67
NASHVILLE (AP) - Matthew Butler scored 17 points, Kedar Edwards added 16 and Tennessee-Martin beat Murray State 73-67 in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Friday night.

UT Martin (21-11) plays Jacksonville State in the championship game on Saturday for the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks upset top-seeded Belmont in the other semi, 65-59 on Friday.

Bryce Jones' 3-pointer pulled Murray State to 68-66 with 42 seconds to go, but the Skyhawks shot 5 for 8 from the foul line while the Racers missed their last two shots.

Murray State led 36-34 at halftime, and with the score tied at 38, Matthew Butler made one of two fouls shots and followed with a jumper and Tennessee Martin led from then on.

The Skyhawks later put together a 10-2 run and led 63-53 on Fatodd Lewis' jumper with 5:51 to go.

Terrell Miller Jr. led Murray State (16-17) with 17 points, and Jones finished with 15.