Murray State University Athletics
Racers need to be ready for Hornets, whose record belies their talent
12/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
With more than a week off since their last game against Southern Illinois on Dec. 11, the Murray State Racers look to improve upon their 3-3 record when they welcome the Delaware State Hornets from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to the Regional Special Events Center in Murray, Ky. Tipoff time is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.
The Hornets (3-6) are coming off a 66-64 win against Ohio Valley Conference member Jacksonville State on Monday. The Hornets were led by senior forward Terrance Hunter, who had 19 points and seven rebounds, including the game-winning follow-up basket at the buzzer to seal the win. Senior guard Aaron Williams also chipped in 15 points for the Hornets.
The Racers are coming off an 80-71 loss to SIU in Carbondale, Ill. Junior guard Darnell Hopkins, making his first start of the season, led the Racers with 21 points, while sophomore guard Trey Pearson had 17.
Racer head coach Mick Cronin sees a lot of things his team could improve on as the season progresses.
"I want to see an improvement in our defensive field-goal percentage, and also what we're giving up from three," Cronin said. "We have to hold people down better. We're not a good passing team right now, and our assist-to-turnover ratio has to get better.
"Our opponents have shot 35 more free throws than we have, so that's a major problem. We're going to have to learn to make teams take challenged shots or make them turn it over.
"We're six games in and still learning about our team," Cronin said. "We're first in the OVC in offensive rebounding, and that's good; we'll have to continue that. We have to get guys on this team into situations where they can be successful. We can't ask them to do things they aren't capable of doing."
The Racers are led by Pearson, who averages 17.8 points per game, to go along with 4.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game. But the Racers' hottest player is arguably Hopkins, who scored just 13 points in the team's first three games, but has erupted for 46 points in the last three games. Hopkins has averaged 15.3 points per game on 17-of-28 shooting (60.7 percent) and is 7-for-14 (50 percent) from the three-point line in the past three games.
The Hornets have three players who average double-figures, led by sophomore Jahsha Bluntt, who averages 13.1 points per game. Hunter and Williams round up the rest, averaging 11.3 and 10.4 points per game, respectively. Hunter was named to the 2004-05 MEAC Pre-Season First Team after finishing on the Second Team last season.
Despite the 3-6 record, Cronin knows the Hornets will be a tough test because of their non-conference opponents.
"Because their schedule is so tough, their record doesn't show how good they are," Cronin said. "They've played the toughest schedule in the country: Illinois, Michigan State, Texas-El Paso, and they forced Marquette into 25 turnovers, so I can tell you they won't be intimidated coming in here. They've already faced down the No. 1 team in the country (Illinois) and played a very competitive game against them. We've got find a way somehow to get them to play our tempo. We'll have to do it with our defense and rebounding."
The Racers lead the all-time series 1-0, with the only game being played last year in Dover, Del. The Racers placed two players in double-figures in the 65-56 win, with Cuthbert Victor getting 21 points and 12 rebounds and Antione Whelchel scoring 10, while Hunter had 10 points and Bluntt had 11 points for DSU.
