#12 Racers Tackle OVC Tournament Challenge

OVC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
#9/12 (1) Murray State (28-1, 15-1 OVC)
vs
Winner of
(4) Tennessee Tech (18-12, 9-7 OVC)
(5) SE Missouri (15-15, 9-7 OVC)
Friday, March 2 - 6:00 p.m. - Municipal Auditorium
Nashville, Tenn. (ESPNU)

Game Notes I Live Stats I Live Radio I ESPN3 I OVC Tourney

The Murray State Racers carry the No. 1 seed into the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament as they seek their 15th title and second and the last three seasons. The Racers will meet one of three teams in a 6 p.m. semifinal game aired by ESPNU Friday night at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium. MSU will meet the winner of a group that includes: No. 8 Eastern Kentucky, No. 5 Southeast Missouri and No. 4 Tennessee Tech. The Racers went 5-0 against these three teams in the regular season. The Racers are 23-14 all-time in OVC semifinals and 14-9 if they can advance into Saturday's 1 p.m. final on ESPN2. The Racers are looking for their first title since 2010 when they defeated Morehead State. That season MSU finished 31-5 season and scored a win in the NCAA Tournament against Vanderbilt in the first round in San Jose, Calif. Last season the Racers lost in the semifinals to Tennessee Tech.

The Murray State Racers are the No. 1 seed in the OVC Tournament for the third straight season. MSU was a No. 1 seed for the first time in 1988 and they've been the top seed in the event 13 times and have won tht title in eight of the previous 12. MSU lost in the semifinals last season to Tennessee Tech as the No. 1 seed.

The combined men's and women's championship has been held at Municipal Auditorium six previous times: 1994, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2008 and 2011. The men also held its championship at the venue in 1989. This year marks the 49th time the OVC Men's Basketball Championship has been held; the event is the fourth oldest Division I basketball championship.

The Racers have won 14 OVC Tournament titles with their last coming in 2010 which vaulted them into their 14th NCAA Tournament appearance. MSU is 60-32 (.652) in the event and 7-5 in Municipal Auditorium.

The Murray State Racers collected five awards Tuesday when the 2011-12 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Teams were announced, including Steve Prohm as OVC Coach of the Year. Isaiah Canaan earned OVC Player of the Year honors and Jewuan Long was named OVC Defensive Player of the Year. Donte Poole was an All-OVC First Team member and Ivan Aska was named to the OVC Second Team.

The Racers are the outright Ohio Valley Conference regular season champions for the third straight season having clinched the title (Feb. 15) with a win at Southeast Missouri State. The Racers are also the fourth MSU team to run through the OVC with only one loss following the 1987-88, 1993-94 and 2009-10 teams. MSU has never had an undefeated champion.

MSU has 23 OVC titles and this season marks the first time since 1992 that the Racers have won three straight outright titles. The Racers' three straight titles is the first since 2000 when the program won the last of seven straight championships. Coach Steve Prohm is the eighth straight MSU coach to win an OVC regular season championship.

Murray State University

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