Murray, KY (Sports Network) - The ninth-ranked Murray State Racers will once
again march out on the court to defend their perfect record as they host the
Tennessee State Tigers in an Ohio Valley Conference clash at the CFSB Center.
This will be the first of two scheduled meetings between the Racers and
Tennessee State this season. Murray State holds a 46-15 edge in the all-time
series after winning the last eight encounters with the Tigers.
Tennessee State is going to be one of the tougher matchups for the Racers on
their OVC schedule. The Tigers are 15-10 overall and 8-4 in league action
after their 75-72 road victory over Southeast Missouri State on Saturday,
which left them in a tie for second place in the league standings. Head coach
John Cooper's team continued to play well offensively as it shot 42.4 percent
from the fiend and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc in the victory over SEMO.
Tennessee State is fourth in league action in the OVC with a scoring average
of 72.0 ppg. The Tigers are the second hottest team in the conference, as they
carry a five-game winning streak into tonight.
Robert Covington is one of the top players in the conference, as he carries
averages of 17.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest. The junior forward was
exceptional his last time out, as he netted 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds
to help his squad push past Southeast Missouri State. Kellen Thornton came up
big off the bench in the same contest with 15 points and six boards off the
bench while Kenny Moore added 11 points. Patrick Miller controls the offense
and is posting 11.7 points and a team-high 3.5 assists per game.
Head coach Steve Prohm is 23-0 for his career in leading the Racers to their
incredible start. Murray State's road to perfection has seen recent close
calls, as every OVC team is trying to make headlines with an upset. After a
second-half comeback against Missouri State on Thursday of last week, the
Racers outlasted Tennessee-Martin to pick up a 65-58 victory, which made them
11-0 in league action. Murray State's statistics illustrate their dominance,
as it leads the OVC in both scoring offense (75.2) and scoring defense (61.3).
The Racers have been paced by their MVP candidate Isaiah Canaan. The junior
guard is ranked second in the league and 24th in the nation in scoring with
19.3 ppg and is also third in the OVC in assists with 3.8 per game. Donte
Poole and Ivan Aska have been steadily contributing to keep Murray State
rolling. Poole has been slumping as of late, as he has gone 1-of-15 from the
floor in his last two contests. Aska grabbing a team-best 5.9 boards per game.
Jewuan Long stretches the defense with his 51.4 percent shooting from beyond
the arc.
The Sports Network