Story by Keith Jaco
Staff writer
Last season, the ‘Battle at the Border’ games between Murray State and Austin Peay were a lopsided affair with the Racers leaving victorious each time. This year, a matchup between the Racers and the Governors will exhibit two first-place teams vying for a chance to stay at the top of the OVC.
Looking Back:
This week, Murray State Racer basketball is back in a comfortable position, posting a 3-0 record following losses to Jacksonville State and Belmont.
The Racers took care of business last week in front of two packed crowds at the CFSB Center, securing victories over Eastern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
Junior forward Darnell Cowart continued to impress in the win over EIU, scoring 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting to go with 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard Ja Morant led the way for the Racers in their blowout win over SIUE, tallying 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting with six assists and five rebounds.
Looking Ahead:
Murray State will face another tough OVC opponent on Thursday night in Clarksville, Tennessee, as they meet with the APSU Governors for their first matchup of the season. The Racers have experienced consistent success against the Governors in recent years, sweeping the season series last season and going 8-2 in their last 10 meetings.
Head Coach Matt McMahon and his team will be tasked with handling sophomore forward Terry Taylor on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Taylor is averaging 19 points and 8.3 rebounds a game for a Governor team that has gone 4-1 in their last five.
With a chance to stay atop the OVC with a rivalry win over Austin Peay, Cowart believes sticking to the same routine will be in the best interest of the team.
“Everybody knows the situation and we just want to approach it as another game,” Cowart said. “We have to prepare the same way, prepare to win and have three great days of practice.”
The Racers will look to put their OVC best three-point field goal percentage defense up against Austin Peay, the conference leaders in three-point field goal percentage.
Following the road matchup with APSU on Thursday night, the Racers will travel to Richmond, Kentucky, for a second meeting with the Eastern Kentucky Colonels Saturday evening.
Murray State pulled out a 97-85 victory over the Colonels on Jan. 5 at the CFSB Center. Morant and Colonel senior forward Nick Mayo went back and forth in this contest as Morant finished with 34 points and 10 assists, while Mayo finished the night with 36 points and nine rebounds.
While EKU may be 1-4 in their last five games, parts of their game pose serious threats to the Racers. The Colonels rank second in both scoring offense and possess one of the best scorers in the OVC in Mayo. The Racers will look to tame Mayo and expose EKU’s last-place ranking scoring defense and put up big numbers on Saturday night.
Murray State will face Austin Peay at 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 14, in Clarksville, Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 16, in Richmond, Kentucky.
