Racers Prep For OVC With Home Victory Over Cumberland

Saturday, December 28

CFSB Center

7 p.m.

Murray State

7-5,0-0OVC

Cumberland (TN)

0-2

Cumberland (TN)

Murray St.

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

12/28/2019 9:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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The Murray State Racers pushed their home winning streak to 12 Saturday night with an 81-46 victory over the Cumberland Phoenix, as the final game of 2019 was played at the CFSB Center in Murray, Kentucky.

The Racers (7-5) finish their non-league schedule and look into 2020 when they begin play in the 72^nd season of basketball in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Racers start their quest for a third-straight OVC regular season crown by hosting UT Martin and Southeast Missouri (Jan. 2 & 4).

Tevin Brown led the way with 24 points for the Racers with a season-high six 3-pointers, while freshman Demond Robinson scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Anthony Smith added 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Brown tied for the team lead with eight rebounds and DaQuan Smith tallied seven assists.

At the 10:03 mark of the opening half, Jason Holliday hit his first 3-point basket at MSU to give the Racers a 23-15 lead. The Racers ended the half with three-straight baskets by Brown, Robinson and KJ Williams to lead 44-27 at the intermission. MSU pushed their lead to 30 with 12:05 left in the game and the lead became as great as 37 points with 1:32 remaining.

Game Notes
In the 22nd season of basketball at the CFSB Center, the Racers have pushed their home win streak to 12 in a row at the CFSB Center, the arena affectionately called "The Bank". With a winning percentage of 85 percent, the Racers home office has proved to be a hard place for visiting teams to leave victorious and especially of late. The Racers are now 55-11 at home in Coach Matt McMahon's fifth season, which includes a 28-6 record in OVC play. In the last three seasons, the Racers are 35-7.

The top home win streak of all-time for MSU remains the 47 in a row that closed down Racer Arena and opened the CFSB Center in 1998. MSU went 1,470 days between home losses from January 1996 to January 2000 under Coach Mark Gottfried and Coach Tevester Anderson.

Coach McMahon is 94-47 (.666) overall at MSU and 61-16 (.857) in the last three seasons.

MSU sophomore, Tevin Brown, scored 24 points tonight and now has 589 points in 45 games with the Racers.

Demond Robinson tied his career-high with four blocked shots. Just as he did in the game with Middle Tennessee (Dec. 7). He also tied his career-high in scoring 16 points. He also had 16 points against Brescia (Nov. 16).

The Racers and Phoenix met for just the third time in their histories tonight and the first since 1930. MSU now leads the series 3-0.

MSU held CU to seven second-chance points in tonight's game. MSU has now eight-straight games of holding opponents under 10.

Next week, the Racers open the 72^nd season of collegiate men's basketball in the OVC by hosting UT Martin (Jan. 2) and Southeast Missouri (Jan. 4). The Racers have won the last four against UTM since the Skyhawks beat the Racers in the 2017 OVC Tournament. The Racers lead the all-time series 51-7 and are 28-1 at home with the only loss coming in 2013. Against SEMO, the Racers have also won the last four meetings since a Redhawks win at home in 2017. MSU is 31-10 all-time at home against SEMO.

In OVC openers, the Racers have won 11-straight since a loss at home to Eastern Kentucky in 2008. MSU is 53-18 overall in OVC openers including 32-5 at home.