Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Semifinals: No. 1 Austin Peay has advanced to the OVC championship game for the second year in a row after a free throw by Drake Reed with 2.2 seconds left gave the Governors a 78-77 win over No. 4 Tennessee-Martin. It was a back and forth battle for much of the second half, with the Governors (23-10) at times looking to break the game open. But UT-Martin (17-16) stayed alive behind the sterling play of Lester Hudson, who scored 22 of his game-high 31 points in the second half. Wes Channels led four Governors in double figures with 16 points.
The Governors will take on No. 6 Tennessee State, who held off a late rally by No. 2 Murray State for an 83-75 win. The second half went back and forth a couple of times, but the Tigers (15-16) responded every time the Racers (18-13) grabbed the lead and made enough defensive stops down the stretch. Bruce Price led Tennessee State with 20 points and eight assists, while little-used big man James Craft had 10 points on 5-7 shooting. Ray George led Murray State with a career-high 25 points, including 5-7 shooting from long range, in his final college game. [3/07/08]
