#9 Racers Look For Bounce Back Against APSU

Austin Peay
(9-17, 6-6 OVC)
at
#9/7 Murray State
(23-1, 11-1 OVC)
Saturday Feb. 11
7:30 p.m. - CFSB Center
Murray, Ky.

Game Notes I Live Stats I Live Radio I ESPN3

The Murray State Racers try to get one step closer to their third straight Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship when they host the Austin Peay Governors Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in a game aired by ESPN3. The Racers' try at a perfect season ended Thursday with a 72-68 loss at home to Tennessee State. The loss was MSU's first under rookie head coach Steve Prohm. MSU spent 89 days undefeated and were the last undefeated team among the 338 NCAA D-I teams. The loss was MSU's first since March 15 to Missouri State in the NIT...some 331 days.

At 11-1 in the OVC, the Racers have a three game lead in the standings with four games remaining. Their meeting with the Govs marks the 113th game in the series that ESPN The Magazine called one of the best rivalries in all of college basketball. The Racers won the first game this season (Jan. 7) in Clarksville, Tenn., when Isaiah Canaan had an amazing first half that featured seven straight threes. MSU won the game 87-75. APSU enters the game on a three game losing streak having lost at Belmont Monday 94-55. APSU's last OVC game was a 94-88 loss at home to Tennessee Tech last Saturday.

The Racers' 2011-12 season has been one of a shooting star rise to be the top story of the college basketball season. Now that MSU has suffered its first loss, attention now goes to MSU's drive for their 23rd OVC title. History will show that MSU was the last undefeated team in NCAA D-I and in the process, set the OVC record for the best start to a season surpassing the Western Kentucky team of 1953-54 that started 21-0. MSU has clinched their 25th straight winning season which is tied with UConn for the fourth-best streak in the nation behind only Syracuse, Kansas and Arizona.

The Racers are going places they've never been when it comes to rankings. This week marks the ninth consecutive week of being ranked in the Associated Press Poll. MSU's no. 9 rank in the AP poll this week and no. 7 rank in the ESPN/USA Today poll are all-time highs in the MSU program. MSU's previous best ranking was no. 16 twice in the early 1950's. This season's rankings mark the first for the Racers since 1998. MSU is also the no. 1 team in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll for the first in program history and the first for an OVC team.

Murray State University

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