MONDAY'S SCORES
Murray State 66, Milwaukee 63 (Estero, Fla.)
Belmont 98, South Alabama 85 (Kennesaw, Ga.)
MURRAY STATE 66, MILWAUKEE 63
ESTERO, Fla. - The Murray State Racers posted a 66-63 quarterfinal win over the Milwaukee Panthers at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla., at Germain Arena.
The win makes the Racers 3-1 and advances them to a Tuesday 5 p.m. CT semifinal against Pepperdine, an 84-70 winner over Duquesne.
Trailing 31-24 after a 32 percent shooting first half and down 33-24 in the first minute of the second half, the Racers heated up with three-straight 3-pointers from Bryce Jones. After his flurry, the Racers kept the pressure on and finally took their first lead when Justin Seymour hit a jumper with 11:19 remaining. The Racers hit four-straight 3-pointers in the 22-11 run. Three from Jones and one from Gee McGhee.
McGhee pushed the Racers in front by six points with 4:14 left, before the Panthers made a run and cut the lead to 64-63 on a 3-pointer by Austin Arians with 10 seconds left. Jeffery Moss hit a pair of free throws with six seconds left to set up a wild finish.
Needing a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, Milwaukee got it from Jordan Johnson, but after the officials reviewed the play, the shot went in after time expired.
The Racers (3-1) celebrated a hard-fought 66-63 win in the first meeting with Milwaukee (4-2).
Murray State's balanced scoresheet included leading scorer Jones with 15 points and 13 points from Jeffery Moss who surpassed the career 1,000 point plateau in the game. Damarcus Croaker and Wayne Langston each scored 12 points with McGhee tossing in 10.
Croaker led the way with eight rebounds.
The Racers overcame a poor first half from the field where they were 8-of-25 for 32 percent, to hitting 16-of-33 in the second half for 49 percent.
BELMONT 98, SOUTH ALABAMA 85
KENNESAW, Ga. - Behind a career-high 30 points from junior Evan Bradds, Belmont University men's basketball defeated South Alabama, 98-85, Monday afternoon in the subregional round of the Legends Classic.
Bradds continued his remarkable stretch of play, picking up from his 28-point performance at Evansville Saturday.
Dating back to the Bruins' Nov. 18 victory over Western Kentucky, Bradds made 22 consecutive field goals before missing his lone shot of the game early in the second half.
But scoring on a variety of patient post moves, Bradds lifted Belmont from a 47-46 halftime deficit.
Bradds scored six points during a key 10-0 run which gave the Bruins an 88-73 lead with 3:57 remaining.
Bradds, who led the nation in field goal percentage last season, went 14-for-15 from the field, added six rebounds and three assists. Senior Craig Bradshaw had 17 points and junior Taylor Barnette chipped in 15.
Ken Williams led South Alabama (1-3) with 19 points.