Ohio Valley Conference contest: No 21 Murray State at Eastern Illinois

Friday, December 30, 2011

Frank Martin

Ohio Valley Conference contest: No 21 Murray State at Eastern Illin

As the wins mount, so does the attention that comes to Murray State with the Racers still undefeated as the New Year approaches. No. 21 Murray State puts its 13-game winning streak on the line Friday when it travels to Charleston, Ill.

to take on Eastern Illinois Panthers in an Ohio Valley Conference contest. The Murray State Racers, who cracked the Top 25 for the first time since 1998, are one of only four unbeaten teams in Division I, joining the Top 10 trio of top-ranked Syracuse, No. 7 Baylor, and No. 8 Missouri. MSU, which opened OVC play with a win over UT Martin on Dec. 21, will be the first ranked opponent to play in Eastern Illinois’ Lantz Arena. This will be EIU’s conference opener.

- #21 Murray State Racers @ Eastern Illinois Panthers
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, December 30, 2011
Where: Lantz Arena, Charleston, Illinois
TV: 8:00 p.m. ET, Racer TV Network/ESPN3

The Racers have opened as 10-point favorites on SBG Global Sportsbook’s Live NCAA Basketball Odds.

Murray State Racers (13-0. 1-0 OVC): Off to their best start in 75 years, the Racers are closing in on the record of the 1935-36 team that started 16-0. Junior guard Isaiah Canaan leads the team in scoring (18.6) and assists (4.2), and is among the nation's Top 20 in 3-point field goal percentage (47.6) and 3-pointers per game (3.0). Canaan, who needs just 10 points to become the 38th member of MSU's 1,000-point club, is also shooting 50 percent from the field and shooting 83 percent from the charity stripe. Ivan Aska, a senior forward, is third in scoring (12.9) and leads the team in rebounding (5.9). Donte Poole averages 13.1 points, a team-high 2.2 steals and 2.1 treys per game. Murray State has used the same starting lineup all season and four of those five starters shoot 83 percent or better from the free throw line.

Eastern Illinois Panthers (6-5, 0-0 OVC): The Panthers have lost three straight after winning three in a row. EIU is 5-0 at home this season. Senior guard Jeremy Granger, a preseason All-OVC selection, leads the Panthers in scoring (17.4) and assists (4.4). Granger, who has three games with 25 or more points, joined the 1,000-point club at EIU earlier this season. The Panthers' frontcourt is led by sophomore Alfonzo McKinnie, who is second in scoring at 11.5 points and leads in rebounding (7.6). Freshman guard Joey Miller, son of EIU head coach Mike Miller, averages 9.2 points and 2.9 assists. The Panthers, who beat Murray State in Murray, Ky. last season, were picked to finish ninth in the OVC.

NCAA Basketball Betting

1. Murray State and Eastern Illinois are the top two scoring and free throw shooting teams in the OVC. MSU averages 75.3 points per game and hits on 75.8 percent of its free throws, while EIU averages 73.4 and shoots 75.4 from the line.

2. Eastern Illinois has never beaten a ranked team at the Division I level. The Panthers are 0-15 all-time against ranked teams with their nearest miss coming back in 1987 when EIU lost in overtime to then No. 20 Iowa State.

3. Murray State's last two wins over ranked teams are both schools from the bordering state of Tennessee. MSU knocked off then No. 21 Memphis on Dec. 11 and in March, 2010, the Racers beat Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

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alfonzo mckinnie - donte poole - eastern illinois panthers - isaiah canaan - ivan aska - jeremy granger - joey miller - lantz arena - murray state racers

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