TISHOMINGO, Okla. — A dominant second-half surge lifted the Murray State College men's basketball team to an impressive 85–71 victory over Collin College on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Aggies trailed 21-9 midway through the first half. The hosts from Oklahoma, though, responded with a pair of three's by Domantas Sarauskas and Haki Muhammad II to cut the deficit in half with just over eight minutes to play in the first half. Collin would push the lead back up to eight before Murray State would trim it to three right before the half thanks to a made three by Malachi Schilreff and a pair of free throws from Kristupas Grybas. The Aggies trailed 34-31 at the break.
 
The Aggies took their first lead of the game just two minutes into the second half as Tayesen Combs converted a field goal, assisted by Schilreff. The game would have several lead changes over the next eight minutes of action. An Ashton Smith made three, assisted by Schilreff, sparked the Aggies 12-0 run to take a double-digit lead. Smith and Abeeng Agot each made a jump shot in the stretch, while Schilreff converted a pair of free throws and Aymen Kraria connected on a three. Murray State would hold the double-digit lead for the remainder of the game and earn an 85-71 victory on Saturday.
 
Abeeng Agot led the charge with a game-high 18 points, adding five rebounds and three assists while shooting 6-of-12 from the field. Ashton Smith provided a major spark off the bench, scoring 17 points and knocking down three triples. Haki Muhammad II followed with 13 points, including a pair of threes, and Domantas Sarauskas contributed 11 points in 25 strong minutes.
 
Malachi Schilreff delivered a well-rounded performance with 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and five steals in helping Murray State control the glass and tempo in the second half. Aymen Kraria added seven points and nine rebounds, giving the Aggies a lift in the paint.
 
As a team, MSC shot 40% from beyond the arc (12-of-30) and forced 13 steals, turning defensive pressure into transition scoring that fueled the second-half surge.
 
Collin College was led by Kevin Paul's 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Nick Gunter added 14 points off the bench. Collin shot 39.7% from the field and 23.1% from the three point line (6-of-26).
 
The Aggies will travel to Texas to play against No. 23 New Mexico College and Southeast Arkansas College on Friday and Saturday. Both games are slated for a 5 p.m. start.
 
Assistant Sports Information Director: Jeremy Wagner | jwagner@mscok.edu
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