Racers Host Evansville Tuesday At The Bank

Tuesday, December 18

CFSB Center

7 p.m.

Murray State

Evansville

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

12/17/2018 11:42:00 AM | Men's Basketball

MSU Game Notes

Live Stats I Live Video I Live Audio

EVANSVILLE PURPLE ACES (5-5, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
Head Coach: Walter McCarty (Kentucky, 1996)
Career Record: 5-5 (1st season) • At UE: Same

MURRAY STATE RACERS (7-1, 0-0 Ohio Valley)
Head Coach: Matt McMahon (Appalachian State, 2000)
Career Record: 66-38 (4th season) • At MUR: Same • OVC: 34-16

Date: Dec. 18 Time: 7 p.m. CT Site: Murray, Ky. Arena: CFSB Center (8,600) Radio: Racer Radio - WFGE 103.7 FM - PXP-Neal Bradley, Analyst-Kenny Roth TV: None Online Video: ESPN+ Audio: GoRacers.com & Froggy103.com Live Stats: StatBroadcst.com Twitter: @MSURacers @RacersHoops @RacerDave23 Series: MSU leads 25-12 Home: MSU leads 14-4 Away: MSU leads 11-8 Neutral: None Last Meeting: 2016 Away UE won 78-46 MSU Last: Saturday home won 75-57 Jackson State UE Last: Sat. home lost 50-55 Jacksonville State MSU Next: Sat. away vs Auburn MSU next home: Dec. 29 vs Bethel UE Next: Sat. home Green Bay UE Next Away: Dec. 30 at Miami (OH)

The Murray State Racers (7-1) look to extend their 13-game home winning streak when they welcome the Evansville Purple Aces (5-5) into the CFSB Center or a Saturday 7 p.m. tip. The game is the second part of a doubleheader after the MSU women's team takes on Southern Illinois.

Froggy 103 (WFGS 103.7 FM) airs every MSU game with "Voice of the Racers" Neal Bradley calling the action in his 28th season. Former MSU assistant coach Kenny Roth provides commentary. Froggy103.com and GoRacers.com has free online streaming audio. The game can also be seen online at ESPN+.

Having already defeated Missouri State and Southern Illinois, the Racers take on Evansville as their third game this season against Missouri Valley Conference teams and the eighth-straight season in which the Racers have played a MVC team. The Racers have a long history of facing teams from the MVC with the majority against the Purple Aces (37 games) and Southern Illinois (36 meetings). The only team from the current MVC lineup the Racers haven't faced is Northern Iowa.

Freshman Tevin Brown is only eight games into his Murray State career and he has already established himself as one of the top long-range shooters in the OVC having hit at least on three in the first eight games of the season. Last week against SIU and Jackson State, Brown was 10-of-20 from the 3-point line and had a season-high 20 points against the Salukis. Brown's six 3-pointers at SIU tied the season high for the Racers after Ja Morant did it against Missouri State (Nov. 24).

The Racers are fast finding scorers that can assist Ja Morant as he continues to lead the team in many categories. Morant leads the OVC in five offensive categories and is the second scorer in the OVC at 22.3 points per game. He averaged 13.5 assists last week in two Racer wins. Morant had the fourth-highest assist game in MSU history at home against Jackson State (Dec. 15) with 14. The MSU record of 16 by Chad Townsend was accomplished against Eastern Illinois (2-20-1997).

Head Coach Matt McMahon has his best defensive team in his four seasons as the Racers' boss. Entering the week, the Racers lead the OVC in blocked shots (5.9 per game), field goal percentage defense (.351, which is second in all of NCAA D-I), 3-point percentage defense (.205, first in the nation) and scoring defense (56.5ppg, fifth in the country). Last week in wins over Southern Illinois and Jackson State, the Racers only gave up seven 3-pointers in 80 minutes of basketball.

After facing Evansville, the Racers play at Auburn Saturday and they'll be facing a top-10 team in the Tigers. MSU is back at home to host Bethel (TN) after the Christmas break (Dec. 29). And Ohio Valley Conference play is just around the corner. MSU opens their 71st season in the OVC (a founding member in 1948) with home games against Morehead State (Jan. 3) and Southeast Missouri (Jan. 5).