The Murray State Racers celebrated the start of the New Year with a triumphant 78-61 victory over the Evansville Purple Aces on New Year’s Day at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. This win elevated the Racers to an impressive 3-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference, ending their two-game losing streak and securing their second road win of the season.
A total of seven players scored for Murray State, led by Justin Morgan’s 15 points. Rob Perry and Jamari Smith both contributed 14 points to the team’s efforts, while Kenny White Jr. and Quincy Anderson added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Racers dominated from the start, launching into a 15-0 run from the tip-off and holding Evansville to a shocking 0-of-8 shooting from the field. Murray State hit 7-of-11 field goals, extending their lead to an impressive 18-1 with 12:40 remaining in the first half.
Murray State headed into the halftime break with a commanding 41-21 lead, marking their largest halftime lead of the season. The Racers scored on two consecutive steal and dunk plays by Smith and Anderson, leaving the Purple Aces in their wake.
In the second half, Evansville managed to narrow the gap to 17 points, but Morgan’s hot hand kept the Racers in the lead. He sank his third 3-pointer of the game and a layup to put Murray State ahead 63-40 with 10:55 left to play. The Purple Aces fought hard, coming within 12 points with 2:40 left on the clock, but ultimately fell to the superior Racers.
This game marked the first New Year’s Day game for Murray State since hosting Middle Tennessee in 2003. The Racers now boast a solid 5-3 record when playing on New Year’s Day, with their first game on this holiday taking place in 1943 under Coach John Miller. Murray State triumphed over Southeast Missouri 52-34 in a game played in Metropolis, Illinois.
This was also the Racers’ tenth win in 14 games at the Ford Center, and their third consecutive win at this venue. Quincy Anderson, who is on a mission to achieve a career 1,000-point score, inched closer to this milestone with 87 career games played and 993 points between Murray State and Minnesota State. Once he reaches 1,000 points, he will join teammates Jamari Smith, Brian Moore Jr., and Rob Perry as 1,000-point players.
In terms of team statistics, Murray State had their lowest turnover total of the season at five and shot an impressive 47% from the field, improving upon their previous road shooting percentage of 42%. Rob Perry was especially deadly from the 3-point line, sinking 2-of-4 in this game and 9-of-14 in his last three games.
Coach Steve Prohm remains undefeated against Evansville with a perfect 6-0 all-time record. The Racers will now return home to host the Bradley Braves on Wednesday, January 4th, determined to keep their winning streak alive.
