Murray State University Athletics
MSU Returns To The RSEC - Face St. Catharine
11/28/2008 11:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game 5
St. Catharine (0-9)
at
Murray State (3-1)
Saturday 7 p.m.
Murray, Ky.
RSEC
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SERIES INFORMATION
Overall: First Meeting
@ Murray: First Meeting
@ St. Catharine: None
Neutral: None
Last Meeting: None
First Meeting: None
Trend: None
Billy Kennedy vs SCC: 0-0
J.T. Burton vs MSU: 0-0
Television: MSU TV-11 (Tape delayed at 10 p.m.)
Radio: Froggy 103.7 FM Neal Bradley & Nathan Higdon
Internet: GoRacers.com FREE live audio & OVCsports.tv PAY live video GAME NOTES
RACERS RETURN TO RSEC: The Murray State Racers return home to host the Patriots of St. Catharine College at 7 p.m. at the Regional Special Events Center. The game marks the first meeting between the two. The Racers are 3-1 and coming off an impressive 67-61 road win Wednesday over Indiana State. The Racers outrebounded the Sycamores 38-27 for the game and erased a 35-33 halftime deficit with a 34-26 second half. The Racers only made one field goal in the final 11 minutes, but made up for it by sinking 19-20 free throws in the final seven minutes. Isacc Miles hit a jumper with 45 seconds left to seal the win for the Racers. Danero Thomas was MSU's only player in double-figures with a career-high 22 points. The Racers are again using great defense to win games. Through four games, no opponent has scored more than 61 points on MSU and they are shooting only .378 (74-196) from the field against the Racers. MSU is also having a great start to the season from the free throw line shooting at an .815 clip (75-92). MSU is 23-52 for an .862 percentage in the last two games.
SCOUTING REPORT: St. Catharine is 0-9 this season and coming off an 86-77 overtime loss Tuesday at Wright State-Lake. On Nov. 19 SCC took Alice Loyd into overtime before losing 80-76. The Patriots are led in scoring by Victor Garcia at 21.3 points per game, while Arthur Latham scores 16.5 and Brandon Johnson 16.2. Victor, and Latham have each scored 26 points in a single game this season, with Johnson having a 27-point night. St. Catharine was scheduled to play Friday night game against Asbury at the Spalding Thanksgiving Classic Louisville, Ky. The Patriots return to Spalding to play a Sunday game against the host team. The Patriots, a former junior college program, are in their first season as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
RSEC - THE FRIENDLY CONFINES: The Racers are in their 11th season of basketball in the RSEC and are 121-23 (.840) after an 89-61 victory Nov. 22 over Western Kentucky and are 16-2 in the last two seasons. MSU is 37-9 (.804) all-time in the RSEC against non-Ohio Valley Conference teams. MSU has won 15 of their last 17 games against non-conference D-I teams dating back to 2002. The Racers' Ohio Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinal win over Tennessee Tech last March and their wins over Lyon College and WKU this season means MSU has a home winning streak of three straight.
MSU TO OPEN OVC PLAY:
MSU hits the road next week for their opening set of games in the OVC with a Thursday, Dec. 4 game at Eastern Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. The Racers play at Morehead State at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6. Both games will mark the first broadcasts of the Racer Television Network. The 58,000 customers of NewWave Communications and Mediacom will receive the game live at no additional charge. The Racer TV Network will also broadcast the MSU games at Tennessee State Feb. 4 and at Southeast Missouri Feb. 17.NEXT UP ON THE SCHEDULE:
After MSU plays the games at Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State, they'll take some time off for end of semester final exams. MSU travels to Columbia, Mo. Dec. 13 for a game with the Missouri Tigers.OPPONENT WATCH:
Here is a look at how some of MSU opponents are doing this season.Arkansas State (3-1) Have won three straight. Beat UT Martin at home 76-67 Nov. 25. Play at Ball State Saturday.
Western Kentucky (2-2) Defeated Southern Illinois at home 79-70 Nov. 26. Travel to Louisville Sunday.
Indiana State (0-3) Lost to the Racers 67-61 at home Nov. 26. Play at DePaul Sunday.
Eastern Kentucky (2-2) Defeated Thiel College at home Nov. 26 91-43. Play in New Jersey against Fairleigh Dickenson at the Legends Classic Saturday.
Morehead State (0-5) Lost Nov. 23 verses Florida A&M in Louisville. Play in the Cancun Challenge verses Grambling Saturday and against Central Florida Sunday.
Missouri (4-1) Defeated USC Nov. 83-72 in San Juan P.R. Host Oral Roberts Sunday.
South Florida (3-1) Defeated High Point at home Nov. 25 by a 59-46 score. Host Northeastern Saturday.
Oral Roberts (1-2) Lost 87-65 at Creighton Nov. 22. Play at Missouri Sunday.
Wright State (0-3) Lost 55-37 at home Nov. 24 to Miami, Fla. Play at Sam Houston State Saturday.
Niagara (3-1) Defeated Buffalo Nov. 25 on the road 65-61. Play Monmouth Saturday and either Hartford or New Jersey Tech Sunday at the Philly Hoop Challenge.
FRESHMAN DEBUT:
Ivan Aska earned OVC Co-Freshman of theWeek honors Nov. 24. Aska, a 6-7 forward from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. averaged 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in MSU games against Arkansas State and Western Kentucky. He scored 20 points against WKU, becoming the first MSU freshman to score 20 or more points in a game since Cuthbert Victor scored 27 against Tennessee State on Jan. 30, 2001.LONG SCORES CAREER BEST:
Jewuan Long's 12 point performance against WKU on Nov. 22 was his career high. The previous best for the sophomore was 11 last season as a freshman against Avila on Nov. 23, 2007. On Nov. 26, Long added a career night in rebounding when he pulled down six boards against Indiana State.TOP-10 RSEC CROWD:
The announced attendance of 7,038 the MSU-WKU game Nov. 22 was the seventh largest crowd in RSEC history, and the seventh crowd of more than 7,000. The last was when WKU visited the RSEC in 2002 when 7,288 watched the game. The record for the RSEC is the 8,602 that watched the Racers take on SE Missouri in 1999.GETTING TO THE LINE:
Through four games, the Racers have made 92 free throws, nearly more than the opponent has attempted, 103.AT THE INTERMISSION:
The Racers are 28-8 in the Billy Kennedy era when taking the lead at halftime.THE 5:00 MARK:
The Racers have an excellent mark when getting to the five minute mark of the second half with the lead. MSU is 34-8 in the last three seasons.REBOUND BATTLE:
The Racers have won the rebound battle in three of their four games this season. Recently, MSU had a 39-27 edge on Western Kentucky Nov. 22 and 38-27 Nov. 26 against Indiana State. In the Billy Kennedy era, MSU is 22-11 when winning the rebound battle and 3-0 this season.CAREER NUMBERS:
Tyler Holloway has a good chance of becoming the 34th member of the MSU 1,000-Point club. He has 837 points and is 163 points from the magic number. Danero Thomas is more than half way to 1,000 now with 580. Kevin Thomas has 156 career assists. Tony Easley has led the Racers in blocks in two straight seasons and has 47 in his career. He needs 22 to catch 11th place Danny Jarrett (1976-78) and Mike Lahm (1983-85). WHAT A STREAK: One story line in the 08-09 season will be Murray State's push to ensure another winning season. MSU has 21 straight winning seasons which is tied for fourth in the nation with Connecticut. The Racers share the same neighborhood with first place Syracuse (38 years), Oklahoma (27 years) and Kansas (25 years). MSU hasn't had a losing season since the 1986-87 campaign.HOME OPENER:
The Racers defeated Lyon College in their home opener 84-46. MSU has won 19 straight home openers and haven't lost one since 1989 when they fell to Southern Illinois in triple overtime at old Racer Arena. MSU is 11-0 in home openers in the RSEC.POSTSEASON DREAMS:
When the Racers get to the OVC Tournament at the end of the regular season, they want to secure a home game at the very least, the top four seeds host the bottom four seeds at campus sites in the quarterfinals. Since the league began staging campus games, the Racers have always hosted a first round game in 12 seasons. MSU has been the first seed four times, second seed twice, third seed four times and the fourth seed twice.EARNING HARDWARE:
When the All-OVC awards roll around at the end of the season, the Racers will looking to have an All-OVC First Team selection again. They've had one in 27 of the last 28 seasons.OVC HOME STREAK:
When the Racers play their first home OVC game at the RSEC Jan. 8 against Tennessee State, MSU will carry an eight-game OVC home streak.GRAND SLAM OF STATS:
Murray State ended the 2007-08 season with a rare distinction in NCAA D-I. In conference play, MSU was the only team to lead its league in these four categories: field goal percentage (.498), field goal defense (.412), three-point percentage (.408), and three-point defense (.321). There were only five teams in the nation that led their conferences in three of the categories: Kansas (Big-12), American (Patriot), Stephen F. Austin (Southland), Western Kentucky (Sun Belt), and Gonzaga (West Coast).HOME SWEET HOME:
The Regional Special Events Center continues to be a great home court advantage for the Racers who were 14-2 last season and upped their mark in their 11th season of basketball in the RSEC to 121-23 (.840) with the win over WKU Nov. 22. MSU is 16-2 in the last two seasons and have won three straight at home.
