Murray State University Athletics
Racers Turn Their Focus To This Week's Key Road Games At Tech, Peay
2/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
After opening an important five-game road swing through the Ohio Valley Conference with a pair of wins last week, the Murray State men's basketball team now turns its attention to Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay and a pair of huge games this week in the race for the 2003-04 OVC regular-season championship.
The Racers (19-4, 9-1 OVC) take on third-place Tennessee Tech (12-9, 6-4 OVC) on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., at the Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tenn., followed by a showdown with league-leading Austin Peay (14-7, 11-0 OVC) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Dunn Center in Clarksville, Tenn.
MSU enters the road trip through Tennessee following a pair of wins last week at Eastern Illinois (85-67) and Southeast Missouri (80-74). After dispatching of those two, much of the talk was focused on the 1-2 showdown with the Govs on Valentine's Night, but first-year MSU head coach Mick Cronin sees Thursday's battle with the Golden Eagles as his team's only objective right now.
"The big game for us is Thursday," Cronin said. "Tech is 10-2 at home. I look at a team's home record because that's where we're playing them. They led Austin Peay by eight with seven minutes to play and lost on a tip-in at the buzzer. I'm not giving you the Lou Holtz talk here. It will take a monumental effort for us to win at Tech.
"They're also in third place in the league and we're in second place, so I'm sure their sights are set on us. If I was Tech, I'd be thinking 'if we can beat Murray, and Peay beats them, then we're just one game behind them with four to play.' Tennessee Tech is the only game I'm concerned with right now."
The Golden Eagles are led by junior wing player Willie Jenkins, the OVC's leading scorer at 20.9 points per game. Jenkins also ranks fourth in the league in rebounding (7.5 rpg) and eighth in field goal percentage (47.9%), so Cronin is fully aware of what he brings to team that features outstanding guard play across the board.
"They have two of the best players in the league in Cameron Crisp and Willie Jenkins," said Cronin. "Those guys can score points, and they can score them in bunches. They've got two guys in Jenkins and Crisp that don't need a lot of help and don't need a lot of screens to get open. They can just grab the ball and go get you a basket, and that's tough to defend.
"Jenkins can score from a lot of different spots on the floor. He can post up. He can shoot three's. He's also got an intermediate game off the dribble. He's a 6-5 guy that scores from a lot of different spots on the floor. He's a very good player."
Following the game with Tech, MSU will turn it's attention to Austin Peay, the league's only unbeaten team at 11-0. Though Cronin has been careful to not look ahead to the game with the Govs, he knows it'll be a tough game for his squad, and he's very familiar with how Austin Peay is winning.
"They're a devastating team defensively, and they know how to win," Cronin said. "I don't think their talent gets enough credit because of their style of play. Unlike us, they're not scoring in the 90's a lot, so their kids don't average the numbers that are as impressive to a lot fans and people around the league. But if you want to go player-for-player, they've got great players.
"They've got great players, they've got a great coach and they have a formula for success. They know how they made it to the NCAA Tournament last year, and I think that's a big factor in it. I know I've been through that before. When kids learn what it takes to win, it's a lot easier the next time because they understand it. That's why you see Austin Peay win so many close games. They know how to win down the stretch. They have great composure, and that comes from their leadership."
The MSU Sports Network's live broadcast of the games against Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay can be heard by Clicking Here.
SERIES INFORMATION
-- Murray State vs. Tennessee Tech
This is the 155th meeting between the Racers and Golden Eagles with MSU owning a 112-42 edge in the series...Tennessee Tech has won four of the last seven meetings in the series, including three-straight in Cookeville. The last time MSU won at Tech was on Feb. 26, 2000 when the Racers prevailed 64-63.
-- Murray State vs. Austin Peay
This is the 99th meeting between Murray State and Austin Peay with the Racers leading the all-time series 65-33....In games played in Clarksville, the series is tied at 22-22, but Austin Peay has topped the Racers three straight times at the Dunn Center. The last time MSU won at Austin Peay was during the 1999-2000 season when the Racers knocked off the Govs 68-58.
NATIONALLY: Through Monday's action, MSU was in the Top 12 nationally in three statistical categories. The Racers were fifth in field goal percentage at 50.2 percent, sixth in assists per game at 18.7 per outing and 12th in scoring offense at 81.9 points per game. MSU is also 27th in the nation in scoring margin at +10.7.
VICTOR NOTE: MSU senior forward Cuthbert Victor continues to rank among the nation's elite in 2003-04. Entering Tuesday's action, the 6-5 native of St. Croix, Virgin Islands was fourth in the nation in rebounding at 10.8 caroms per game, fifth in the nation in field goal percentage at 63.5 percent (125-of-195) and 45th nationally in blocked shots per game at 1.8.
With his 26-point, 17-rebound performance against Morehead last Saturday, Victor earned his 11th double-double of the season and the 27th of his career. Victor also became MSU's all-time leader in blocked shots on Jan. 15 against Samford and has now run his career total to 145.
WHO'S HOT FOR MSU
Kelvin Brown - Not counting a 1-minute stint at EIU, the junior forward has been solid in his last three OVC games. He's averaging 17.3 ppg and shooting 20-of-32 from the field.
Adam Chiles - The junior guard is playing his best basketball since the start of the season. In the last four games, he's averaging 11.8 ppg, 4.3 apg and shooting 16-of-36 from the field and 14-of-14 from the free throw line.
Chris Shumate - The senior guard/forward saw his consecutive double-figure scoring streak stopped at six games, but is still averaging a team-high 15.3 ppg in OVC play. In the last four games, he's averaging 15.0 ppg and shooting 8-of-21 (38%) from three-point range.
Antione Whelchel - In the last three games, the senior forward is averaging 12.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg while shooting 16-of-34 from the field.
Kevin Paschel - The senior guard is not putting up eye-popping numbers, but he is playing very solid at the moment. In the last five games, Paschel is averaging 8.6 ppg and shooting 15-of-25 (60%) from the field, 5-of-11 (45.4%) from three-point range and 8-of-10 from the free throw line, while playing 20.4 minutes per game.
