(NASHVILLE) – Fredrick King delivered a flawless shooting performance with a career-high 22 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Murray State Racers fell to conference rival Belmont 103-86 Saturday night at the Curb Event Center.
King was a perfect 9-for-9 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, adding eight rebounds in 24 minutes of action. Despite his efficiency, the Racers (16-7, 8-4 MVC) couldn’t overcome a red-hot Belmont squad (20-3, 10-2 MVC) that shot 56.1% from the field and 50% from three-point range.
The Bruins built a commanding 54-40 halftime lead, with Tyler Lundblade leading the charge. The Belmont guard finished with a game-high 27 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-10 from beyond the arc and a perfect 8-for-9 from the charity stripe.
Drew Scharnowski added 19 points and 11 rebounds for Belmont, while Aidan Noyes provided a spark off the bench with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 4-of-4 from three-point range.
Roman Domon provided a solid contribution for the Racers with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Brayden Shorter chipped in 12 points off the bench. Javon Jackson added 12 points but struggled with efficiency, going just 4-for-16 from the field.
The Racers fought back in the second half, outscoring Belmont 49-46, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome. Murray State shot 47.5% from the field for the game but was just 26.1% from three-point range (6-of-23), a stark contrast to Belmont’s long-range efficiency.
King’s 9-for-9 shooting performance ties for the best field goal percentage in a game this season for a Racer with a minimum of eight attempts. While the teams were even on the glass at 33 rebounds apiece, Murray State committed 13 turnovers to Belmont’s eight, contributing to the deficit. The Racers’ bench provided 33 points, but Belmont’s reserves countered with 39.
A crowd of 3,718 witnessed the contest at the Curb Event Center in Nashville.
Murray State will return home to play UIC’s Flames on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
PHOTO-DAVID EATON, MSU ATHLETICS
