Ferguson’s Career-High 22 Pushes Racers Past SIU

Wednesday, January 22

Carbondale, ILL.

6 p.m.

Murray State

11-9,5-4MVC

Southern Illinois

8-12,3-6MVC

Murray St.

Southern Ill.

Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics

1/22/2025 9:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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The Racers are one of four teams in the MVC with three of more league road wins

The Murray State Racers powered past the Southern Illinois Salukis Wednesday 74-64 behind a career-high 22 points from former Saluki, AJ Ferguson at the Bantera Center in Carbondale.

The Racers (11-9) are 5-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference and come home Saturday to the CFSB Center to host the Belmont Bruins in a 3 p.m. tip.

Returning to the face the team he played for in the last two seasons in Carbondale, Ferguson was 8-of-12 from the field and 5-of-7 from the free throw line, to go with a team-high eight rebounds and 22 points. Nick Ellington added 14 points for the Racers on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, with seven rebounds.

In the first half, the Racers trailed early by six points at the 13:10 mark, but pushed ahead by six at 34-28 with a minute and a half before the intermission, but still led 34-32.

The decisive moment in the game came with 3:28 remaining when the Racers ended a run of seven-straight field goal makes for a 69-56 advantage. With 55 seconds left, Ferguson scored in the lane and had a new career-high.

Game Notes

The Racers are 3-2 in MVC play away from home and have won 3 of their last 4.
MSU is one of four teams in The Valley with at least three league road wins.
The Racers have MVC road wins at Drake, Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois.
Racers are 6-13 all-time at SIU and win there for the first time since 2018 when the Ja Morant led team beat the Salukis 80-52.
Kylen Milton has reached the 1,500 career points mark and now has 1,502 points in 117 career games.
JaCobi Wood is pushing to join the MSU 1000-Point Club and now has 991 points in 84 career games in Murray.
Alden Applewhite has 499 career points in 74 career games with Mississippi State, Portland and Murray State.
Ferguson's former career-high was 21 points, earlier this season (Nov. 26) vs UT Arlington and in Hawaii (Dec. 23) against Charlotte.
Ellington's 6-of-6 from the field today makes him the first Racer to go six for six since Devin Gilmore was 7-of-7 at home against Southeast Missouri in Jan. of 2020.
MSU's season-best shooting streak is 10 in a row at MTSU (Nov. 16).
Game two of the season series between the Racers and Salukis is in Murray on Feb. 19.