Racers Host Govs For More Than Bragging Rights

Thursday, February 8

CFSB Center

6 p.m.

Murray State

Austin Peay

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

2/5/2018 3:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Murray State Notes I APSU Notes I OVC Notes I Live Stats I Froggy 103

AUSTIN PEAY GOVERNORS (14-10, 9-3 OVC)
Head Coach: Matt Figger (Eastern Kentucky, 1995)
Career Record: 14-10 (1st season) • At APSU: Same • OVC: 9-3

MURRAY STATE RACERS (18-5, 10-2 OVC)
Head Coach: Matt McMahon (Appalachian State, 2000)
Career Record: 51-36 (3rd season) • At MUR: Same • OVC: 28-16

Date-Time: Feb. 8, 6 p.m. CT Site: Murray, Ky. Arena: CFSB Center TV: CBS Sports Network Chris Hassel & Tim Doyle Radio: Racer Radio - WFGE 103.7 FM - Neal Bradley & Kenny Roth Web Streaming: Audio: GoRacers.com & Froggy103.com Video: None Live Stats: GoRacers.com & StatBroadcast.com Twitter: @MSURacers @RacersHoops @RacerDave23

Series History vs APSU
Today's Meeting:124th Total: Racers 80-43 Home: Racers 46-11 Away: Tied 28-28 Neutral: Racers 6-4 OVC Regular: Racers 67-37 OVC Tournament: Racers 8-6 Last Meeting: 2017 Home MSU Won 102-58 Last APSU Win: 2017 Home 84-81 OT Last OVC Tourney: 2009 Semifinals APSU Won 67-50

MSU Next: Saturday at SIUE APSU Next: Saturday at Eastern Illinois

The Murray State Racers come home to the CFSB Center to meet arch-rival Austin Peay for the 125th time and for the next chapter of the Heritage Bank Battle of the Border. The school-year long competition awards points to the winner in all head-to-head meetings in all sports. Coming into the women's/men's doubleheader in Murray, Ky., the battle is tied 9-9. MSU won the inaugural Battle of the Border in the 2016-17 season.

Tip times in Murray, Kentucky for the Thursday are 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The game itself is an amazing rivalry of two proud programs, but this time around the game is more important for what it will mean to each team's chances of overtaking Belmont and winning the Ohio Valley Conference championship. The Racers are 10-2 and one game behind Belmont (11-1), while APSU is right there in the hunt at 9-3. The Govs are the final team that MSU hasn't yet faced yet this season in the OVC. Their second meeting will be in the regular season final (Feb. 24) at the Dunn Center in Clarksville, Tenn. The last loss for the Racers and the Govs was to Belmont. MSU lost at Belmont (Jan. 18) and APSU lost there on Jan. 20.

Froggy 103 (WFGS 103.7 FM) airs every MSU game with "Voice of the Racers" Neal Bradley calling the action in his 27th season. Former MSU assistant coach Kenny Roth provides commentary. Froggy103.com and GoRacers.com has free online streaming audio. CBS Sports Network will televise the game with Chris Hassel & Tim Doyle calling the action. There will be no live online video stream of this game.

After last week's road swing to Southeast Missouri and UT Martin, both wins, the Racers come home with a five-game winning streak, their best since MSU won 25 in a row in 2015. The Govs also won games at SEMO and UTM and are 14-10 overall and have won four in a row. The Racers are 18-5 and two wins from their seventh 20-win season in the last nine.

OVC Preseason MVP Jonathan Stark and OVC Freshman of the Year candidate Ja Morant are making the Racers go this season. In the two games last week, they combined for 43.5 points per game with nine rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. All-OVC pick Terrell Miller is one of only five players in the OVC currently ranked in the top-10 in scoring and rebounding. At 872 points, Miller will soon join Stark as member of the MSU 1000-Point Club. Stark got there at the start of the OVC season and last week surpassed 2,000 career points when you add his two seasons at Murray State with his two seasons at Tulane.

With the great home season the Racers have enjoyed, it's hard to believe that there are only three regular season home games remaining. MSU hosts Austin Peay and then has Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech at home next week on Feb. 15 & 17. The game with TTU will have a bunch of ancillary events around the games with the Murray State Hall of Fame inductions, Racer women's basketball reunion and Senior Day as Jonathan Stark and Terrell Miller each play their final home games with the Racers.