MSU Hosts La-Tech On BracketBusters Saturday

Game 26
Louisiana Tech
(11-16) (4-9 WAC)
at
Murray State
(15-10) (10-5 OVC)
Saturday 2:00 p.m.
RSEC
Murray, Ky.

BIG BUSTER SATURDAY: The Murray State Racers still have a thrilling season in the Ohio Valley Conference to finish, but will take a break Saturday to host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in the ESPNU BracketBusters series at the Regional Special Events Center in a 2 p.m. tip. The Racers have won four straight and seven of their last eight after Tuesday's 79-60 win at Southeast Missouri State. MSU has held opponents to 60 points or less in all seven wins during the recent hot streak and rank first in the OVC (56th in NCAA D-I) in giving up only 62.4 points per game. MSU ranks 86th in the nation in three-point defense. MSU has clinched their 22nd consecutive league winning season, the best in the nation and can clinch their 22nd winning season overall with one more win. MSU's streak is tied with UConn for fifth-best in the country. The Racers are playing in their 11th season in the RSEC and have an all-time record of 127-24 (.841) and are 8-1 this season and 22-3 in the last two seasons. MSU is 17-18 all-time against teams from the Western Athletic Conference.

MSU has had success since the ESPNU event was established in 2004 and have posted a 3-1 record with wins over Rice (2005), Illinois-Chicago (2007) and Rider (2007). MSU suffered their first loss last season at home to Indiana State. MSU is 3-1 in the return games with a win earlier this season at ISU and will make a return game in Ruston, La. at some point next season.

SCOUTING LA TECH: Louisiana Tech enters the game after a 84-47 home non-league win over Houston Baptist Thursday in Ruston, La. The Bulldogs are 11-16 overall and 4-9 in the Western Athletic Conference. The WAC is the 12th rated league in the nation according to RealTimeRPI.com ahead of the OVC at no. 21. Tech is 3-2 recently with wins at Nevada (78-75) Feb. 5, and at home Feb. 12 against Fresno State (55-42), and losses Feb. 7 at Utah State (60-52) and at New Mexico State (65-63) on Monday. The Bulldogs are coached by Kerry Rupp who is in his second season with Tech. An interesting note is that Rupp will coach against Murray State, but is also a former coach at Murray High School in Utah. Former MSU assistant Nikita Johnson who was on the Racer staff in the 1990's is an assistant coach for the Bulldogs. Tech has four players scoring in double-figures this season including Kyle Gibson (14.7), Jamel Guyton (12.2), Kenneth Cooper (11.7), and Magnum Rolle (11.4). Rolle and Cooper lead the Bulldogs each grabbing 7.1 rebounds per game.

WHAT A CAREER: Tyler Holloway will take sole possession of third place on the MSU all-time list for made three-pointers with his next basket. He enters with 198, tied with Justin Burdine (1998-02). Holloway's next step will be to pass second place Don Mann (1985-89) at 204. Frank Allen (1989-93) is tops at MSU with 251. Holloway is one of only six Racers who rank in the top-10 in both made three-pointers and three-point percentage. He is also set to join Mann and Allen as the only Racers to lead the team in made threes in three seasons. Allen led MSU in four seasons. Holloway will also be the first to lead the team in three-point percentage in three seasons. With 48 threes currently, he will most likely surpass his career-high for a single season. As a sophomore and a junior, Holloway managed to hit 55 threes in each season. With at least five games left in his senior season he has 48. The MSU senior has turned his game up a notch in the last five games in hitting 10-of-27 from three-point range for 37 percent.

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SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Bulldogs lead 3-2
@ Murray: Tied 1-1
@ Ruston: Bulldogs lead 1-0
Neutral: Tied 1-1
First Meeting: 1960, won by the Racers at home 54-47 under head coach Cal Luther at Racer Arena
Last Meeting: 1988, won by the Bulldogs in Birmingham, Ala. at the UAB Classic 87-69. The Racers were coached by Steve Newton
Billy Kennedy vs La. Tech: 0-0
MSU BracketBusters Record: 3-1

MEDIA INFORMATION
Television: MSU TV-11 Delayed 10 p.m.
Racer Radio: Froggy 103.7 FM- Neal Bradley & Nathan Higdon
Internet: OVCSports.tv PAY live video

Murray State University Athletics

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