Stark, Morant lead Murray St past Detroit Mercy 81-72

Dec 23, 2017, 02:25 am

DETROIT -- Jonathan Stark tossed in 21 points and Ja Morant just missed a triple-double to send Murray State to an 81-72 victory over Detroit Mercy on Friday.

Stark hit three 3-pointers and added five assists for the Racers (8-3), while Morant finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Terrell Miller Jr. contributed 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots.

Kameron Chatman and Jermaine Jackson Jr. each scored 16 to pace the Titans (4-9), while Josh McFolley came off the bench to score 13. Detroit Mercy has dropped seven straight.

Murray State led 40-36 at halftime and had a comfortable lead until McFolley keyed a Detroit Mercy comeback. McFolley nailed a 3-pointer, added two free throws and a 3-point play to pull the Titans within 66-62 with 7:32 remaining in the game. Jackson's 3 with five minutes left again pulled Detroit Mercy within four points, but Morant had assists on back-to-back dunks by Shaq Buchanan and a stuff by Jalen Dupree to put the game out of reach.