CAYMAN ISLANDS — Murray State held off a determined George Washington squad 96-95 in a nail-biting finish Tuesday, surviving a back-and-forth contest that featured nine ties and 17 lead changes.
Roman Domon came off the bench to lead the Racers (6-3) with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting, adding eight rebounds, three assists and a steal. Fred King contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Javon Jackson chipped in 10 points despite picking up a technical foul.
The Racers’ bench proved crucial, outscoring George Washington’s reserves 45-34. Murray State also held a slight edge on the boards, pulling down 40 rebounds to the Revs’ 30.
Rafael Castro put on a show for George Washington (6-2), pouring in a game-high 26 points on 7-of-14 shooting while going a perfect 12-for-14 from the free-throw line. The senior forward added 11 rebounds and four assists in the losing effort. Garrett Johnson added 17 points off the bench, and Christian Jones contributed 14 points with 10 rebounds for a double-double.
The Revolutionaries dominated the paint, outscoring Murray State 48-40 in that area, but couldn’t overcome their shooting struggles from beyond the arc, connecting on just 7-of-19 three-point attempts (36.8%).
Murray State shot 52.9% from the field overall, including a strong 58.1% in the second half, while George Washington finished at 50.8%. The Racers’ 40% three-point shooting (10-of-25) proved to be the difference in the one-point thriller.
The victory improves Murray State to 6-3 overall and 0-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play, while George Washington falls to 6-2 overall and 0-0 in Atlantic 10 action. Murray State will be back at home on Tuesday to host Morehead State at 7 pm.
