VIRGIL, SPENCER PACE RACERS IN SEMIFINAL

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Duane Virgil scored a game-high 23 points and Isaac Spencer added 20 as Murray State beat Morehead State 91-69 Saturday to advance to the finals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament for the 10th straight year.

Spencer added 12 rebounds for the top-seeded Racers (26-5), who had to overcome a slow start to reach the finals of the tourney they have won seven of the last 11 seasons.

The fifth-seeded Eagles (13-15) jumped out to an 11-2 lead 3:47 into the semifinal. Scott Charity had two dunks in that stretch, and Brad Cleaver drained a 3-pointer that caused Murray to call an early timeout.

The Racers took their first lead at the 8:02 mark, going up 16-15 on a free throw by Rod Murray. They never again trailed, leading by as much as 30 points in the second half.

A key for Murray State was holding OVC leading scorer Erik Brown scoreless in the first half, en route to a 33-26 halftime lead. Brown, a freshman who averaged 19.5 points, finally got on the board early in the second half to cut the Racers' lead to 36-30.

But Murray's inside strength eventually wore down the Eagles. Murray State outrebounded Morehead State 24-14 in the second half, and owned a 17-10 overall advantage on the offensive boards.

Cleaver led Morehead State with 22 points. Brown and Charity added 14 points each.