There aren’t many better ways to start March Madness than playing the regular season finale against your rival. That’s exactly what the Murray State men’s basketball team did when they traveled to the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tennessee, to play the Belmont Bruins on March 2.
Going into the game, the Racers had a chance to be the fifth seed in the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) tournament. For that to happen, they needed Belmont to win, Evansville to beat Illinois State, and Valparaiso to defeat Illinois Chicago.
The Racers got punched in the mouth in the first half. They weren’t able to get much going on offense and Belmont couldn’t seem to miss. Murray State looked slow when rotating on defense and couldn’t get past the pressure of the Belmont defense. The Bruins took a 41-22 lead into halftime, hitting 47% from the field while only making three 3-pointers. The Racers shot 31% from the field in the first half and would need a miracle to get back into the game if Belmont continued their play into the second half.
Murray State seemed to find the miracle they needed midway through the second half. That miracle came in the form of shooting fouls called against the Bruins, which sent Murray State to the free-throw line. 15 of Murray State’s 17 total free throws came in the second half. Senior forward Nick Ellington and junior forward Alden Applewhite each made a pair of free throws to cut the Bruins lead to seven with 8:32 left in the game.
Murray State continued to find their rhythm, forcing misses and making baskets, and eventually found themselves on a 15-2 run, cutting the Belmont lead to just three points. Unfortunately, that was as close as the Racers got. Belmont outscored Murray State 16-9 in the final 7:37 and won the game 70-60.
Ellington led the Racers with 19 points on 50% shooting and going 9-for-11 from the free-throw line. Senior guard JaCobi Wood finished the game with 12 points and seven assists. They were the only Racers to shoot 50% or better for the game.
Murray State and the rest of the MVC now set their sights on Arch Madness in St. Louis. The Racers clinched the seventh seed at the tournament, meaning they will play the 10th-seeded Evansville Aces at 6 p.m., March 6. The two teams split the regular season series, with the Racers beating Evansville in the CFSB Center by a score of 63-61, and the Aces beating Murray State in the Ford Center by a score of 78-74.
