The Murray State Racers put in a strong performance for 32 minutes but were unable to secure a win in their 75-67 loss to the UNI Panthers on Tuesday at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Racers now have a record of 9-8, and stand at 4-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Meanwhile, the Panthers improved their record to 9-8 and are now 5-2 in the conference.
Rob Perry was a standout player for the Racers, scoring 17 of his 22 points in the second half. The Racers hit UNI with a 17-3 run to push out to a 60-51 lead with 7:52 left in the game. However, their lead was short-lived as UNI held the Racers without a field goal for 6:21. By the time Perry scored again with 1:31 remaining, the Racers were down by 69-62. Jamari Smith added 16 points, while JaCobi Wood contributed 13.
In the first half, the Racers held a 24-17 lead after a 3-pointer from Wood, with 3:30 left on the clock. Perry hit a 3-point basket at the first half buzzer, but UNI held a 27-27 lead at the intermission.
This game marked the first meeting between the Racers and Panthers, with the Panthers not scheduled to return for a rematch this season. With the formula for the MVC season in 2022-23, the Panthers will not return a game this season to Murray, and the Racers will not make a trip on the road to play the UIC Flames this season either.
The Racers are set to return home on Saturday, January 14th, to host the UIC Flames on Cameron Payne Day at the CFSB Center in Murray, Kentucky. The Murray State hall of famer and current player with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, Cameron Payne will have his jersey No. 1 retired at halftime. Payne’s induction into the MSU Hall of Fame in 2020 and the retirement of his jersey makes him the 12th Racer to receive this honor and the first since Ja Morant in 2019.
