(PEORIA, Ill.)-The Murray State Racers are set to compete in the Arch Madness tournament this week in St. Louis, aiming for postseason success. In their regular season finale, the Racers suffered an 87-78 defeat against the Bradley Braves at Carver Arena in Peoria, Illinois.
The game featured scoring from nine different Racers. In the first half, the Racers surged ahead with a 12-2 run, taking the lead at 13:25 after King hit his first of two three-pointers. They maintained the lead until the final moments of the half, which ended with the Braves leading 34-33. JJ Traynor made a three-pointer with 19 seconds left, and Bradley’s Alex Huibregtse followed suit just before the halftime buzzer.
The second half began slowly, with both teams scoring their first 15 points from the free-throw line. The Racers stayed in contention, closing the gap to four points after Mathis Courbon hit a three-pointer with 15:12 remaining. However, they were unable to reduce the deficit to a single possession and never had a chance to tie the game.
As they head into the postseason, the Racers achieved their highest number of conference wins in four seasons and reached 20 overall victories, marking their best performance during this period.
Domon has had six games this season with 10 or more free-throw attempts, converting 11 of 16 in this match. King hit two three-pointers in the first half, setting a career high, and has been averaging 8.4 rebounds per game, leading the MVC throughout the season. If he maintains this lead, he will be the first Racer to top the conference in rebounding since Ed Daniel in the 2012-13 season.
Additionally, King recorded one blocked shot, bringing his season total to 59, which places him in the top 10 for a single season in program history. He is tied with Cuthbert Victor, a recent MSU Hall of Fame inductee, and is just two blocks shy of tying Victor, Jarvis Williams (2013-14), and Antoine Teague (1992-93).
Wrapping up their fourth year in the Missouri Valley Conference, Murray State finished with a record of 12-8 in conference play and an overall record of 20-11. They are the #4 seed and will play #5 UIC Friday at 2:30 in Enterprise Center.
With a win, the Racers would advance to the semi-finals to face the winner of #1 Belmont vs. #8 SIU/#9 Drake winner. PHOTO: DaveWinder, MSU Athletics
