Story by Blake Sandlin
Sports Editor
bsandlin1@murraystate.edu
When a Division I and Division III basketball team square off, most reasonable fans can expect a lopsided scoreboard at game’s end.
Such is true for Murray State’s matchup with Spalding University on Friday, Nov. 16 – the first meeting between the two Kentucky programs. The D III Golden Eagles are members of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC), and will come to Murray with the intent of challenging their underdog status and surprising the Racers.
Birds Eye View
The Golden Eagles were knocked from their perch abundantly last season, finishing 9-15. They will be without senior forward Brandon Williams, who made up for 11.8 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game.
However, they do return valuable leadership in junior guard Dominique Ellis, who led Spalding in scoring last year with 16.5 PPG and shot a 46.8 percent clip from the three-point line. In Spalding’s opener against Hanover – one Spalding lost 78-55 – Ellis added 11 points, five rebounds and three blocks.
Also contributing in that game was freshman forward Troy Amanor, who pitched in eight points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in the Golden Eagles’ loss.
Racers trotting into Friday
In the Racers’ second regular season game, they’ll be looking to build upon a season-opening 73-54 win against a talented Wright State team. Despite excessive turnovers, Murray State found a way to edge out the Raiders because of explosive shooting from sophomore guard Ja Morant (26 points) and freshman guard Tevin Brown (17 points).
Although the Racers’ certainly leaned on the play of their guards against WSU, it was the complementary play of the team’s bigs that spoke volumes. Senior forward Anthony Smith pulled down 10 rebounds and added four points on 2-for-4 shooting, while junior forward Darnell Cowart shined in his Racer debut by scoring 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting and adding six rebounds.
Murray State’s meeting with Spalding should serve as a critical chance to tune-up its game before enduring two tough tests against Missouri State University and the University of Alabama.
Game Info
The Racers will tip-off against the Golden Eagles at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16, at the CFSB Center. Fans can stream the game using ESPN+ or listen to the radio broadcast on Froggy 103.7.