Murray State University Athletics
MSU Travels to New Jersey For BracketBusters Event
2/16/2007 6:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Murray State
(13-13) (11-7 OVC)
at
Rider
(14-12) (8-8 MAAC)
Saturday 6 p.m. CST
Alumni Gymnasium
Lawrenceville, N.J.
Murray State Racers hit the road again for the ESPNU BracketBusters game in Lawrenceville, N.J. where they'll play the Rider University Broncs Saturday at 6 p.m. central time at Alumni Gynasium. The Racers are trying to get back on the winning track after they dropped a 64-60 overtime game at home Thursday against Tennessee State. The loss made the Racers 11-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference and 13-13 overall.
The Racers are playing their third BracketBusters game after winning at Rice in 2005 and at home last season in 2006 against Illinois-Chicago.
The Racers have never before met Rider.
Murray State returns home next Thursday for senior night against Tennessee Tech and then finishes the regular season at UT-Martin Saturday Feb. 24. The Racers are still in the hunt for a first round home game in the OVC Tournament that begins Feb. 27.
Getting to New Jersey proved to be a challenge for the Racers when their direct flight from Nashville, Tenn. to Philadelphia, Pa. was cancelled. The team ended up connecting through Charlotte, N.C. on three different flights and wasn't scheduled to arrive in Lawrenceville until late.
The Rider Broncs are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletics Conference and are 14-12 overall this season, 8-8 in league play. Rider defeated Canisius 98-88 last Sunday and lost at Loyola Wednesday 95-73.
Center Jason Thompson ranks among the nation's best in scoring (20.0 ppg) and rebounding (9.8) and has blocked 74 shots this season, compared to MSU's team total of 70. Terrance Mouton scores 13.5 ppg and Madsell Harris scores 12.3.
GAME NOTES
THE RIDER-MSU SERIES: The Racers and Rider Broncs are meeting for the first time. MSU has also never played a team from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Racers have played a pair of teams that call New Jersey home. In 1999, the Racers defeated Rutgers in St. Louis 87-83 and in 1969, the Racers lost at Seton Hall 90-81.
OVC EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: The Ohio Valley Conference Tournament is set for March 2-3 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn. The OVC has announced its "Early Bird Special" offering ticket discounts and free concessions. Check the front page of ovcsports.com for details. The special offer is good through Feb. 20.
OVC VIDEO STREAMING: OVC member institutions are receiving great reviews in the first year of offering live streaming video. All OVC games are being offered to fans and media with live video and home team announcers audio at www.ovcsports.tv.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Racers have traveled approximately 7,000 miles to get to this point in the season. That includes a trip to California in November and games in Chicago, Knoxville, Birmingham, and Richmond since. The Racers have logged more than 100 hours on a bus this season! But they still have the Rider trip to tackle and will do so Friday when they fly from Nashville to Philadelphia and bus to Lawrenceville N.J. The Racers will return Sunday afternoon and resume OVC play next Thursday at home against Tennessee Tech. By the time the season is over, the Racers will have logged more than 8,800 travel miles in the 2006-07 season.
SECOND HALF FUN: The Racers poor shooting in the second half against Tennessee State was not the norm for the last month or so. MSU was held to .383 in the second half against TSU, but had shot better than .500 in the second half eight of the last 11 games before the TSU game.
GOOD COMPANY: Bruce Carter is among a group of four players who are ranked in the top-10 in both OVC scoring and rebounding. Carter is ninth in scoring and seventh in rebounding. Courtney Bradley (JSU), Gerald Robinson (UTM) and Amadi McKenzie (TTU) are also ranked in the top-10 in both categories. He has also scored in double figures 18 times in MSU's 25 games this season.
SHUFFLE THE DECK: With 11 new players, you can imagine the combinations of starting lineups that Billy Kennedy tried early in the season. Coach Kennedy used 10 different starting lineups in the first 14 games. Things have settled into a solid rotation now as the Racers have had only two different lineups since. For a long while, Witherspoon, Holloway, Horton, Carter and George were taking the floor first. Then Holloway missed the SEMO game Jan. 27 with the flu and since then freshman Marvin Williams has been starting with Holloway coming off the bench. The same lineup has now started the last seven games.
CRITICAL TIME: Watch for the five minute mark of the second half, because it has been a key moment on if the Racers are on the winning end or not. When MSU has the lead with five minutes left they are 11-3, and 1-10 when they trail. MSU lost a lead with five minutes left last Thursday against EKU and also lost a lead against Tennessee State.
WORKING OVERTIME: Four times now, the Murray State Racers have battled in an overtime game this season. Wednesday the Racers had a lead late with Tennessee State, and even had the last shot in regulation but couldn't avoid extra time. This is the first time they've played four overtime games in one season since 1989-90. MSU is now 21-13 in overtime games since 1983 and are 2-2 this season with wins over Jacksonville State and Tennessee State and losses to TSU and Eastern Kentucky. Records have been kept since 1983 and MSU has never played five overtime games in a single season. Speaking of the 89-90 season, the Racers were 2-2. They lost in triple overtime to Southern Illinois and also in overtime to Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament first round in Knoxville, Tenn when MSU nearly became the first 16-seed to upset a 1-seed. MSU had overtime wins that season over Texas-San Antonio and Tennessee State. The Racers have played 11 overtime games in OVC play since 2000 and are 5-6.
FRESHMEN FORM: Marvin Williams and Danero Thomas hilight a freshmen class for the Racers that has shown great improvement through 25 games. Williams is playing 12.7 mpg, while Thomas is on the floor an average of 15 minutes per game. Together they are adding 8.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game to the MSU attack.
MORE THE MERRIER: In MSU's Feb. 10 win over Morehead State, the Racers put six players in double-figures in the scoring column, a rare feat indeed. it was only the seventh time in the last 177 games that it has happened. MSU beat the Eagles 74-62 with George scoring 15, Holloway and Horton with 11 and Witherspoon, Williams and Thomas scoring 10.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU: Junior Ray George has proved a quick learner after joining the team Dec. 19. George led the Racers in scoring for the first time in the Racers win at Jacksonville State Feb. 3 with 16 points on 6-9 shooting, he has scored in double figures in seven of his 15 games at MSU and led the Racers again with 15 against Morehead State Feb. 10.
HOLLOWAY AT THE LINE: Tyler Holloway is battling for the right to be called the best free throw shooter in the OVC. He is 56-65 this season (.862) and ranks just behind of Romain Martin of Eastern Illinois who is 64-74 (.865). Holloway was ranked 37th nationally a few weeks ago but dropped out because he doesn't have the 2.5 attempts per game needed to be ranked. While he is still in the early part of his time at MSU, Holloway stands a very good chance of setting the career FT percentage mark at MSU, he is 84-98 (.857). The record is currently held by Greg Coble who hit .850 of his shots (147-173) from 1989-1991.
SPOON WATCH: Shawn Witherspoon joined the Murray State 1000-Point Club by scoring 14 points in the EKU Feb. 8.
He had 17 against Tennessee State and has tied Hector Blondet (68-71) for 31st place on the MSU all-time scoring list with 1,030 points. He trails 30th place Mike Coleman (72-74) who has 1,038 points.
Witherspoon has enjoyed a career at MSU that will be remembered not by the numbers he has accumulated but by the leadership he has shown.
Here are some of his accomplishments:
He has scored in 99 straight games. The last time he failed to score was Jan. 26, 2004 during his freshman season. Witherspoon has scored in 114 of his 117 games as a Racer.
Has turned in 29 games of 14 points or more.
Career best scoring game came during his sophomore season Jan. 6, 2005 at home against Morehead State when he pumped in 33 against Morehead State.
Witherspoon has seven career double-doubles and nine career games of 10 rebounds or more.
He has has started in 56 of the last 57 games.
As a freshman in 2003-04, was part of the MSU team that won its first eight games in route to a 28-6 season and won the OVC Tournament marking MSU's 12th trip to the NCAA Tournament where they played and lost a first round game in Columbus, Ohio against Final Four team Illinois.
As a junior in 2005-06, he was part of the MSU team that went 24-7, won the program's 20th OVC regular season title and 13th OVC Tournament title. In the NCAA Tournament first round in Dayton, Ohio...the Racers took defending champion North Carolina to the wire before losing 69-65. Witherspoon was playing a brilliant game with five points and four rebounds when he broke a bone in his foot eight minutes into the first half.
Witherspoon has helped the Racers to a 52-17 record (.753) in the OVC during his time here. The Racers are also 45-10 record (.818) at the Regional Special Events Center during his time as a Racer.
There are 32 players in the MSU 1,000-Point Club, here are the bottom 10. Bennie Purcell is the first member of the club gaining admission in 1952.
