(MURRAY, Ky.) — The Murray State Racers suffered a narrow 70-65 setback against Illinois State on Wednesday evening at CFSB Center, ending their impressive home winning streak and relinquishing their share of the Missouri Valley Conference lead.
With the loss, Murray State’s record moved to 16-6 overall and 8-3 in conference play, falling behind Belmont, which now sits alone atop the standings at 9-2. The two teams are scheduled to face off Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Curb Center in Nashville.
Fred King paced the Racers’ offensive effort, recording his seventh double-double of the campaign with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Javon Jackson contributed 15 points in the losing effort.
Murray State struggled offensively throughout the contest, managing just 29 points in the opening half while shooting 37 percent from the floor. The Racers finished the game converting only 38 percent of their field goal attempts and were particularly cold from beyond the arc, connecting on just four of 22 three-point attempts for an 18 percent success rate.
Despite their shooting woes, the Racers mounted a second-half comeback. They narrowed Illinois State’s advantage to 56-53 with 4:53 remaining after converting eight of nine free throw attempts during a crucial stretch. However, Murray State couldn’t complete the rally, ultimately suffering their first home defeat of the season.
The loss snapped a 12-game home winning streak that had ranked among the top 20 nationally. Murray State now stands at 10-1 at CFSB Center this season, with upcoming home contests against UIC on February 3, Northern Iowa on February 9, Belmont on February 15, and Evansville on February 21.
The Redbirds have now won four consecutive meetings against the Racers, though each contest has been tightly contested with margins of five, six, two, and four points respectively. The teams will meet again February 18 when Murray State travels to Normal, Illinois for the return matchup.
Wednesday’s 29-point first half represented the Racers’ lowest scoring output in any opening period through their first 11 Missouri Valley Conference games this season.
PHOTO COURTESY-Prof. David Eaton-MSU Athletics
