The Murray State Racers enjoyed their best start of the season on New Year’s Day with a 78-61 romp over the Evansville Purple Aces at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
The win for the Racers (8-6) improved their mark to 3-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference as they host the Bradley Braves Wednesday (Jan. 4). The Racers also put the brakes on a two-game losing skid as they scored their second road win of the season.
Seven different MSU players scored and were led by Justin Morgan with 15 points, while Rob Perry and Jamari Smith scored 14 each. Kenny White, Jr., and Quincy Anderson added 11 and 10 points.
Their 15-0 run from the tip off marked the Racers’ best start this season when they held UE to 0-of-8 from the field, while MSU hit 7-of-11 field goals to push their lead to 18-1 with 12:40 in the first half.
Murray State went to the locker room with their largest halftime lead of the season at 41-21 when they scored on two-straight steal/dunk plays by Smith and Anderson.
In the second half, when UE cut the Racers lead to 17, Morgan hit his third 3-pointer of the game and a nifty layup to put the Racers in front 63-40 with 10:55 remaining. The Purple Aces got as close as 12 points with 2:40 remaining.
Game Notes
- Coach Steve Prohm is 6-0 all-time against Evansville.
- MSU had their lowest turnover total of the season at five, one better than the six they had at Chattanooga.
- MSU’s 13-0 start marked their best this season in the first five minutes of a game. MSU’s previous best was at the Myrtle Beach Invitational when they led Texas A&M 12-6.
- Freshman Justin Morgan produced his best game as a Racer today: 15pts, 5-9FG, 3-6(3pt), 14:20 minutes.
- The Racers started the day only .418 from the field on the road, but turned that around today in hitting 29-of-61 for 47 percent.
- Rob Perry was 2-of-4 today from the 3-point line today and 9-of-14 in his last three games.
- Today’s game marked the first New Year’s Day game for MSU since hosting Middle Tennessee in 2003.
- MSU is now 5-3 when playing on the first day of the year.
- MSU first played on New Year’s Day in 1943 under Coach John Miller and defeated Southeast Missouri 52-34 in a game played in Metropolis, Illinois.
- The Racers have won their last three games at the Ford Center and are 10-4 All-time. MSU is 3-2 against Evansville.
- Quincy Anderson’s chase to be a career 1,000-point scorer saw him get closer tonight. Anderson has 87 career games played combined with Murray State and Minnesota State and has 993 points.
- Once he gets to 1,000, he’ll join teammates Jamari Smith, Brian Moore, Jr., and Rob Perry as 1,000-point players.
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