The Murray State Racers men’s basketball squad received a pair of awards, for the week of Dec. 18-24, when Jonathan Stark was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week and the OVC Freshman of the Week was awarded to Ja Morant.
The OVC weekly awards are voted on the league’s sports information directors and they’re the first of the 2017-18 season to go to Murray State players.
Stark, a senior from Munford, Tennessee, had a pair of 21-point performances for the Racers against Auburn (Dec. 19) and Detroit Mercy (Dec. 22). For the week, he hit 42 percent from the field and 47 percent from the 3-point line and he was perfect from the free throw line on 6-of-6. Stark played 76 minutes and only had six turnovers. He also threw in 10 rebounds and seven assists for the week as he averaged 21 points per game and 3.5 assists.
Morant, from Dalzell, South Carolina, won the OVC Freshman of the Week award. He was one assist shy of a triple-double in the Racers’ win over Detroit Mercy with 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for his third double-double in the last four games. Against Auburn he turned in a game of nine points, seven rebounds and five assists. For the week, Morant scored 13 points per game and averaged nine rebounds and seven assists.
The last time the Racers had a pair of OVC awards in the same week was Jan. 6, 2014 when Jarvis Williams was OVC Player of the Week and Cameron Payne was OVC Freshman of the Week. MSU’s last OVC Player of the Week was Payne on March 2, 2015 and the last MSU OVC Freshman of the Week was Payne on Feb. 24, 2014.
The Racers open OVC play with four-straight home games. Thursday (Dec. 28) the Panthers of Eastern Illinois visit the CFSB Center for a women’s/men’s doubleheader starting at 5 p.m.
Dave Winder – Department of Athletics – Murray State ​State University​
Associate AD – Media Relations
