Murray State 78, Tennessee Tech 58: Donte Poole scored 25 points and Isaiah Canaan added 18 to lead No. 9 Murray State past Tennessee Tech in the semifinals of the OVC Tournament.

The Racers (29-1) will play Tennessee State in Saturday's final with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

Poole scored 19 points in the second half as the Racers, who led 37-30 at halftime, broke the game open with a 21-7 run over a span of 7:31 to take a commanding 62-43 lead.

Canaan, the OVC Player of the Year, scored 15 in the first half as Murray State built a 14-point lead. Ed Daniel chipped in 11 points for the Racers who shot 54.9 percent from the field while holding Tennessee Tech to 40 percent.

Murray State beat Tennessee Tech (19-13) three times this season and avenged last year's OVC semifinal loss.

Kevin Murphy, the nation's 12th leading scorer, led Tennessee Tech with 31 points, but was the only Golden Eagle in double figures.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Murray State will be making its 24th appearance in the OVC title game. The Racers are 14-9, having last won the title in 2010. ... Murray State, the top free throw shooting team in the OVC, made only 16 of 28 for 57.1 percent, well below its season average of 73. ... Murphy topped the 30-point mark for the fifth time this season and became the second player in school history to surpass 2,000 points.