Racers Lose Late Lead On Turnovers At EIU

Thursday, January 7

Charleston, Ill.

7:30 p.m.

Murray State

4-6,1-4OVC

Eastern Illinois

5-5,2-1OVC

Murray St.

Eastern Ill.

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

1/7/2021 6:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

The Murray State Racers saw a 13-point lead slip away in the final minutes and suffer a 74-68 to the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Lantz Arena in Charleston. The Racers (4-6) were also trying for their first road win of the 2020-21 season. The Racers have lost four straight Ohio Valley Conference games and are 1-4.

Due to the Saturday game at SIUE being postponed because of established protocols, the Racers' next game is Thursday (Jan. 14) at Southeast Missouri State.

Leading 53-40 with 13:40 remaining, the Racers had seemingly overcome recent struggles with turnovers. EIU began to chip away and then the game took a turn for the worse when the Racers committed four-straight turnovers in the final two minutes. Those turnovers led to EIU baskets each time and suddenly, the Racers trailed the Panthers 68-64 with 1:00 remaining. The Racers were never able to get possession with a chance to tie after that.

Chico Carter, Jr., led the Racers with 15 points off the bench on 3-of-3 shooting from the 3-point line, while KJ Williams scored 13 points and Tevin Brown 11 points and five assists. Demond Robinson grabbed eight rebounds.

Leading all but two minutes of the first half, the Racers took their 38-33 advantage at the intermission and tacked on an 11-4 run to start the second half for a 49-37 lead, highlighted by two forced turnovers that led to breakaway baskets by Brown. MSU eventually built a 13-point lead, but was outscored by EIU 34-15 the rest of the way.

The Racers started the game on a 12-5 run on a pair of buckets from Williams and two 3-pointers from Smith. The Racers started the game 10-of-17 from the field.

MSU ended the night shooting 48 percent (48-of-62), including 9-of-22 from the 3-point line for 28 percent. MSU lost the rebound stat 34-30 and committed 23 turnovers.

Game Notes
Since EIU joined the OVC in 1997, the Racers have won 41 out of their 51 regular season meetings with the Panthers and 19 of 28 games at Lantz Arena, but now have lost two in a row.

Coach Matt McMahon used his third different starting lineup tonight. For the first nine games of the season, the constants in the lineup have been Tevin Brown, Justice Hill and KJ Williams. Tonight DaQuan Smith made his first start of the season and the 31st of his MSU career that has spanned 45 games. Demond Robinson, Brion Whitley and Jackson Sivills have also started games.

With a week until their next game, the Racers return to the court at SEMO (Jan 14) in a game at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. MSU has won the last six in the series with the Redhawks, including a double overtime win a year ago. The Racers travel to play at UT Martin (Jan. 16) at the Elam Center in Martin, Tenn. MSU has won the last six in the series with the Skyhawks since their last loss in the 2017 OVC Tournament.

The rescheduled game at SIUE hasn't been announced yet.

Check GoRacers.com for the latest basketball schedule information.
Men's Schedule
Women's Schedule

About MSU Athletics Mobile Ticketing
Beginning with the 2020-21 basketball season, all Murray State Athletics tickets will be distributed via mobile delivery and no physical ticket sheets will be printed in accordance to guidelines from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Season ticket holders can use the http://am.ticketmaster.com/murray site to access and manage their tickets. Going mobile is the most convenient and flexible way to receive and manage tickets while increasing protection against fraud. Mobile tickets reduce the risk of lost, stolen, counterfeit or forgotten tickets and quick and contactless entry into the venue.
FAQ About Mobile Ticketing

Racer Restart – Basketball
Through the Racer Restart initiative and planning process, Murray State University will follow a collaborative, thoughtful and proactive approach in re-opening campus. This process includes athletics and our goal to offer you the same Racer brand you have enjoyed over the years in a way that is safe for everyone - the student-athletes, the coaches, the staff and the best fans in the OVC, Racer Nation.
FAQ About Racer Restart For Basketball
https://goracers.com/sports/2020/11/12/racer-restart.aspx