Perfect Racers await Redhawks

The Murray State men's basketball team has a chance to tie a notable program record tonight, along with clinching the outright Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title.

It will take a monumental upset by Southeast Missouri State to keep the Racers from those accomplishments.

MSU has won 15 straight games entering the 7 p.m. tipoff at the Regional Special Events Center in Murray, Ky.

That not only is tied with Butler for the nation's longest current winning streak but is one shy of the Racers' all-time victory streak.

The Racers already have clinched at least a share of the OVC regular-season championship, their conference-record 21st crown.

MSU also has won 22 consecutive OVC regular-season games, just three off the league record of 25 set by Western Kentucky in the 1960s.

"Murray has tradition," Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said. "They've made coaching changes over the years and have been good throughout."

The Racers have romped through the OVC with a 15-0 league record along with a glittering 24-3 overall mark. Only four of their league wins have been by single figures.

One of those dominant victories was against Southeast, 80-61 on Jan. 23 at the Show Me Center even though the Redhawks had a solid performance.

"They're as good as anybody we've faced all year long and we've faced some tough people," Nutt said. "We know it'll be a mountain of a task, but let's just relax, don't look at the scoreboard, just play our game."

While MSU is rolling, Southeast (7-19, 3-12) is reeling. The Redhawks have lost seven straight OVC games while dropping 10 of their past 12 contests overall.

"I'm really proud of our team, the way they're fighting and hanging in there," Nutt said. "When things aren't going well, it's easy to hang your heads, but we're not doing that."

MSU leads the OVC in most major statistical categories, including scoring offense (78.7 points per game), scoring defense (60.2), scoring margin (18.6), field-goal percentage (51.1), field-goal percentage defense (38.4), blocked shots (5.6) and steals (10.9).

Depth and balance are among the Racers' strengths as six players average between 10 and 10.7 points per game. Their top scorer, junior guard B.J. Jenkins, ranks only 21st in the OVC at 10.7.

"They're a very deep team and a very experienced team," Nutt said.

Perhaps MSU's most valuable player is 6-foot-9 senior center Tony Easley, who is averaging 10.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks while shooting 68.3 percent.

Easley leads the OVC in blocks and field-goal shooting while ranking seventh in rebounding. He had 17 points and six blocks against Southeast earlier, while throwing down several thunderous dunks.

"He really changes the game around the basket," Nutt said.

Junior guard Anthony Allison, Southeast's top scorer with a 10.8 average, has been on a hot streak from long range and ranks as the OVC's No. 2 3-point shooter at 46.5 percent (33 of 71).

The Racers lead the all-time series against Southeast 42-17 and have won the past six meetings.

Southeast junior forward Cameron Butler said the Redhawks are looking forward to a shot at pulling off the upset.

"It's a good challenge for us, but we're capable of beating any team in this conference," Butler said.

Tonight marks Southeast's final OVC road game.

The Redhawks, after playing at Miami (Ohio) on Saturday in the BracketBusters, finish the regular season next week with conference home games against Tennessee State and Austin Peay.

"We've still got a lot of basketball to be played," Nutt said.