Ellington’s 29 Points Leads Racers To Victory at UIC

Wednesday, January 17

Chicago, Ill.

7 p.m.

Murray State

8-10,5-2MVC

UIC

8-10,1-6MVC

Murray St.

UIC

Photo by: Steve Woltmann

Ellington’s 29 Points Leads Racers To Victory at UIC

1/17/2024 11:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Murray State Racers played in the Windy City for the first time as members of the MVC

The Murray State Racers won for the third-straight time away from home Wednesday with a 73-58 over the UIC Flames at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

The Racers (8-10) improved to 5-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference as they come home to the CFSB Center Sunday for a 4 p.m. game against the Indiana State Sycamores.

Nick Ellington scored a career-high 29 points on 13-of-16 from the field, with seven rebounds and a pair of steals and blocked shots. Quincy Anderson added 15 points, while the Racers had seven others score including JaCobi Wood with eight points.

Showing their best efficient offensive game, the Racers shot 51 percent from the field and assisted on 22 of their 30 field goals.

Leading 33-31 at the intermission, the Racers revved up their defense and hit the Flames with a game-deciding run.

After a pair of Justin Morgan free throws for a seven-point lead at 14:23, Brian Moore, Jr., finished off a fast break on one end of the floor and hustled to the other end in time to draw a charge to give the ball back to his teammates at 13:21. MSU began the second half with a 23-7 run that also included a three-point play from Alden Applewhite and six-straight points from Ellington who turned in his best game of his collegiate career that saw him play in his 49^th NCAA DI game in Chicago. By the time Ellington scored his 28^th and 29^th points of the game at 6:45, the Racers were in front 62-41.

Game Notes

Ellington finished with a great stat line at UIC of 29PT, 13-16FG, 3-6FT, 7R, 1A, 2B, 2ST.
Only a missed free throw kept Ellington from hitting the 30-point mark, but is still the season-high scoring game for the Racers.
JaCobi Wood's season-best free throw streak ended at 21.
MSU's recent free throw record is 39 in a row by Hall of Famer, Jonathan Stark, in the 2017-18 season.
Shawn Walker returned to the floor tonight and added four points to the MSU total.
The Racers dominated the rebound stat 42-26 and had 12 offensive rebounds that led to 17 second-chance points. Ellington grabbed five rebounds on offense.
During their big run to start the second half, the Racers 10-of-16 possessions with nine assists on 12 field goals.
In MSU's three-straight road wins, they have had excellent first halves: They held Evansville to 20 points, held Missouri State to 19 points and today held UIC to 25 points in the first 20 minutes.
MSU is now 7-3 when leading at halftime this season.
Sunday's 4 p.m. game at The Bank against the Sycamores will air nationally on ESPN2.
The game is a stripe out day at the CFSB Center with seating sections alternating navy and gold.

Follow the Racers on Twitter (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Murray State Athletics. Follow Murray State men's basketball on Twitter and Instagram (@RacersHoops).

It's time to think about purchasing tickets to 2024 State Farm Arch Madness (March 7-10) in St. Louis, Missouri. The Enterprise Center is set to host the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament which will be staged in the Gateway City for a 34th consecutive time. Through Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, Racer fans get a discounted price of $175 per ticket. Tickets can be purchased through the Murray State ticket office at the CFSB Center, by calling (270) 809-3000 or online through GoRacers.com and TicketMaster.com.