Murray State hosts Sheppard and Belmont

Published Jan. 31, 2023 3:42 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Belmont Bruins (16-7, 9-3 MVC) at Murray State Racers (12-10, 7-5 MVC)

Murray, Kentucky; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Belmont plays the Murray State Racers after Ben Sheppard scored 21 points in Belmont's 79-61 loss to the Drake Bulldogs.

The Racers are 8-1 in home games. Murray State is fifth in the MVC with 24.2 defensive rebounds per game led by Damiree Burns averaging 4.0.

The Bruins are 9-3 in conference games. Belmont has a 4-1 record in one-possession games.

TOP PERFORMERS: Rob Perry averages 1.8 made 3-pointers per game for the Racers, scoring 15.2 points while shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc. Jamari Smith is averaging 12.6 points over the last 10 games for Murray State.

Drew Friberg averages 3.3 made 3-pointers per game for the Bruins, scoring 12.0 points while shooting 46.6% from beyond the arc. Sheppard is averaging 18.9 points over the past 10 games for Belmont.

LAST 10 GAMES: Racers: 5-5, averaging 69.9 points, 32.6 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 5.4 steals and 2.9 blocks per game while shooting 43.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.5 points per game.

Bruins: 8-2, averaging 70.1 points, 31.0 rebounds, 15.0 assists, 6.4 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.0 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.