Story by Keith Jaco
Staff writer
Murray State men’s basketball will look to complete a season sweep of UT Martin and Southeast Missouri State as it returns home to the CFSB Center this weekend.
Looking back:
The Racers handled business on the road last weekend, knocking off Austin Peay 73-71 in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Thursday, Feb. 14, and blowing out the Colonels of Eastern Kentucky 102-70 on Saturday evening.
Sophomore guard Ja Morant averaged 28.5 points, 10.5 assists and seven rebounds in these two contests, while redshirt freshman guard Tevin Brown caught a second wind for the Racers by adding 14 points in each game.
Head Coach Matt McMahon is pleased with the resurgence of Brown over the past few weeks.
“[Tevin’s] a critical piece in everything we do,” McMahon said. “He’s played exceptionally well all year long; he’s been a great defender and he was phenomenal on the defensive glass at Austin Peay on Thursday. Obviously we hope he bombs in nine or 10 more threes, but I think he impacts the game in a variety of different ways.”
Looking ahead:
Murray State will welcome a hot UT Martin team on Thursday that has won four straight, including a 66-64 home win over Jacksonville State (19-8, 11-3). The Skyhawks have used lineup changes in the past few weeks to their advantage, starting Craig Randall II, a junior guard that transferred from Duquesne mid-season.
Randall has brought new life to the Skyhawk offense, averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds in the Skyhawks’ last four games.
With Thursday’s matchup against the Skyhawks being the second of the season for Murray State, McMahon is eager to see what changes UT Martin will make for the Racers.
“It’ll be interesting to see what they do defensively,” McMahon said. “We have to be prepared for the different looks that they’ll throw at us on Thursday.”
Following the matchup with UT Martin, the Racers will host the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State Saturday, Feb. 23. Murray State defeated SEMO 85-67 in their last meeting in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
The Racers have controlled their season series with SEMO in recent years, going 7-3 in their last 10 against the Redhawks.
Murray State will look to post big numbers once again against SEMO’s second-worst scoring offense in the OVC.
Murray State will host UT Martin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21, and Southeast Missouri State at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the CFSB Center.
