Heartbreak in Chicago – Racers Fall in 2OT to UIC - Murray State University Athletics

Wednesday, January 15

Chicago, ILL.

7 p.m.

Murray State

UIC

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Heartbreak in Chicago – Racers Fall in 2OT to UIC

1/15/2025 4:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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The Racers have played a pair of double overtime games for the first time since 1983

The Murray State Racers suffered their second setback in double-overtime this season Wednesday in a 97-93 defeat to the UIC Flames at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago.

The Racers (10-8) saw their 3-game win streak halted as they are 4-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Murray State comes home Saturday to face the Bradley Braves at 3 p.m. on MSU Hall of Fame Day at the CFSB Center. The 42^nd class to the MSU hall will be honored at halftime.

Alden Applewhite set a new career-high with 22 points as the Racers produced about as an amazing finish as one can imagine.

Trailing by five points, the Racers made three steals in the final 15 seconds and scored off two of them on buckets by Applewhite and Kylen Milton to cut the UIC lead to 74-73 with 6.5 seconds remaining.

After a timeout, the Racers fouled UIC with 5-seconds on the clock and got the ball back trailing 76-73. The Racers forced overtime, but it not the way they thought it might happen. Terence Harcum was fouled at mid-court attempting a game-tying 3-pointer. He calmly made all three free throws and game headed to overtime tied 76-76.
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In the second overtime, Harcum scored down the lane with five seconds as the game played on into the Chicago night tied 88-88.

In the second OT, the Flames outscored the Racers 9-5 for the win.

Game Notes

In records that date back to 1983, the Racers have never played two double-overtime games in the season until this season.
At the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu (Dec. 23) the Racers lost to Charlotte in 2OT 94-90.
To this point in the 2024-25 season, the Racers now join Bucknell, Central Arkansas and Le Moyne as the only teams in NCAA D-I that have played two double overtime games this season.
JaCobi Wood scored seven points tonight and gets closer to joining the 1000-Point Club with the Racers, he has 971 points in three seasons in Murray in 87 games.
Alden Applewhite's new career-high is now 22 points after he came off the bench to play just shy of 30 minutes with 7-of-15 fromt the field (3-of-8 3PT) and 5-of-5 from the free throw line.
Applewhite's previous career-high was 20 points when he played at Portland against UC Riverside on Dec. 22, 2022.
Terence Harcum certainly showed that he continues to be a clutch performer for the Racers when he hit three free throws to force overtime.
Harcum, who missed his first free throw of the game at the 1:20 mark had made 13-straight, one off the season-best streak by AJ Ferguson who made 14 in a row.
For just the second time in 10 games this season in which the Racers have won the rebound stat, they lost the game. MSU also lost at home to Illinois State while having more rebounds.
MSU is 8-2 in games this season when they win the rebound stat.
Through 18 games, the Racers still have not given up double-digit 3-point baskets to their opponents.
Terence Harcum kept his streak alive of making at least one 3-pointer in every game this season.
Harcum was 0-5 when the game went into overtime and his first 3-pointer came with 3:19 remaining in the second overtime.
Kylen Milton had the rare 4-point play with 5:29 left in regulation time when he was fouled making a 3-pointer and made the free throw.
He now has three of them this season after doing the same against Utah Valley (Nov. 11) and Nebraska (Dec. 22).
UIC's Javon Jackson became the first opponent player to score 30 on the Racers since Ben Sheppard scored 35 at the CFSB Center on Feb. 1, 2023, game the Racers won.
The Racers are shooting the same at home and on the road at .464. MSU is 174-of-375 at home and 183-of-394 in road games.
On defense, MSU opponents are shooting .407 at home (155-of-381), but are 65 points higher when the Racers are on the road at .472 (191-of-405).
MSU is ranked No. 00 in the nation in getting to the free throw with an average of 24.7 attempts, first in the MVC.
However, MSU drops to No. 221 nationally in free throw percentage (.706) and eight in the MVC.
MSU's trio of workhorses: JaCobi Wood (No. 16), Terence Harcum (No. 54) and AJ Ferguson (No. 68) rank in the top-68 nationally in minutes played.