Racers Host Bethel In Final Game Of 2018

Saturday, December 29

CFSB Center

7 p.m.

Murray State

Bethel (TN)

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

12/26/2018 2:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball

MSU Game Notes Bethel Game Notes

Live Stats I Live Video I Live Audio

BETHEL WILDCATS (9-3, 3-1 Southern States Athletics)
Head Coach: Jeff Britt (Brescia, 1989)
Career Record: 439-296 (28th season) • At BU: 330-234 (19th)

MURRAY STATE RACERS (8-2, 0-0 Ohio Valley)
Head Coach: Matt McMahon (Appalachian State, 2000)
Career Record: 67-39 (4th season) • At MUR: Same • OVC: 34-16

Date: Dec. 29 Time: 7 p.m. CT Site: Murray, Ky. Arena: CFSB Center 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: StatBroadcast.com Twitter: @MSURacers @RacersHoops @RacerDave23

Series: MSU leads 21-3 Home: MSU leads 6-0 Away: MSU trails 2-1 Neutral: None Last Meeting: 2016 Home MSU won 103-65 Last Bethel Win: 1929 at BU 20-18

MSU Last: Dec. 22 lost at Auburn 93-88 BU Last: Dec. 15 won at home vs Martin Methodist 82-78 MSU Next: Jan. 3 home Morehead State MSU next away: Jan. 10 at UT Martin BU Next: Jan. 3 at Florida College AU Next Home: Jan. 10 vs Loyola

The Murray State Racers (8-2) come out of a short break for Christmas for their final game of 2018 when they host the Bethel (TN) Wildcats (9-3) in a Saturday game at the CFSB Center. Tip time is set for 7 pm. in Murray, Kentucky.

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+.

In their first game in six days, the Racers last stepped on the floor (Dec. 22) at No. 7 Auburn and MSU gave a good account of themselves against one of the top teams in the nation. In a tight game that ended with a 93-88 defeat at Auburn Arena, the Racers had two impressive large segments in the game in which they more than handled the Tigers. MSU's 24-11 run in the first half gave them a 24-19 lead at the 8:55 mark of the opening half and they started the second half with a 21-14 run to take a 57-56 lead at the 14:15 mark of the second half. Ja Morant led the Racers with 25 points, while Shaq Buchanan hit 4-of-7 from the 3-point line and finished with 21 points. Tevin Brown had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Darnell Cowart scored a MSU career-high 13 points off the bench.

Murray State's Ja Morant is making quite an impression as a candidate for many postseason awards including the grand one in league play, that being the OVC Player of the Year. He's first in the OVC in assists per game (9.3), total assists (93) and minutes played per game (35:21) and second in points per game (23.0). He has also been named to the watch lists for the Lou Henson and Lute Olsen awards for the top mid-major and major player of the year.

The Racers enter the Bethel game with a 15-game home winning streak since their last loss on their home floor to Auburn (Dec. 19, 2017). The current run of winning at home is the 13th longest streak in program history and the best since 2015. The MSU record remains one of the top feats in program history. The Racers' 47-game home streak from 1996 to 2000 is the stuff of legend in university history and it was the longest home court winning streak in the nation when it ended in a loss to SEMO on Jan. 15, 2000.

As a founding member of the Ohio Valley Conference in 1948, the Racers begin the 71st season of OVC play next week when Morehead State (Jan. 3) and Eastern Kentucky (Jan. 5) visit the Racers.