NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Reggie Crenshaw made two free throws with seven-tenths of a second to play, lifting third-seeded Austin Peay to a 70-68 victory over top seed Murray State in the finals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Saturday.Austin Peay's Bubba Smith shows Murray State his low post moves. (437k avi) | QuickTime (433k)
Austin Peay is going to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1987-88 season, when the Governors upset Illinois in the opening round.
The Governors (18-10) tied the score with 11 seconds to play Saturday when Bubba Wells, who finished with 35 points, made one of two free throws. Murray State's Vincent Rainey was called for a reach-in foul after a rebound, setting the stage for Crenshaw's heroics.
"I did get fouled," said Crenshaw. "There were three or four (Murray State players) around me. I don't know who fouled me. I don't think the refs decided the game -- I think we had something to do with it."
Murray State's Vincent Rainey was charged with the foul.
After Crenshaw hit his second shot, the Racers (19-9) called time out. A full-court pass never found its mark and the clock ran out before Murray State could get off a shot.
"It's tough to accept it when a game ends like that," said Murray State coach Mark Gottfried. "It's very frustrating for the team after they worked hard all season and to have a dream of going to the NCAA Tournament and for it to end like that is really tough."
