Racers Bow Out of Arch Madness on Loss to Bradley

Friday, March 7

St. Louis, Mo.

Murray State

16-17,9-11MVC

Bradley

25-7,15-5MVC

Murray St.

Bradley

3/7/2025 10:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

For the second time in three tries, the Racers win a game and then end their season in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals

The Murray State Racers saw the 2024-25 season end Friday in a 70-62 loss to the Bradley Braves in the quarterfinal round at State Farm Arch Madness at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo.

The Racers ended their season 16-17 after advancing from the first round Thursday with a win over Evansville.

Kylen Milton scored 23 points to lead the Racers, while Nick Ellington added 17 points. AJ Ferguson added a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and JaCobi Wood had eight assists.

Leading 28-27 at halftime, the Racers were down by eight points with 13:53 remaining after the Braves got some space after a 6-0 run.

Many times in The Valley, it's the team that gets the first burst is the one that gains the upper hand and this run turned out to be the deciding moment.

With 10:26 and 9:47 left, the Racers cut the Bradley lead to four points each time, but never got any closer.

In the first half, Bradley started the game making 4-of-5 shots from the field, they missed the next five. The Racers made it a 9-7 game at 13:35 on the Racers' first 3-pointer of the game by Milton.

MSU took a 22-19 lead at 4:36 when Ellington scored back-to-back baskets including one where he rebounded his own miss and scored.

AJ Ferguson's free throw with 1.6 left gave the Racers a 28-27 lead at the halftime intermission.

The Racers say goodbye to a loyal group of seniors including JaCobi Wood, who played three seasons in Murray and Nick Ellington who had a two-season tour. One season seniors, AJ Ferguson, Terence Harcum and Kylen Milton.

Game Notes

The Racers are 2-3 in the MVC Tournament in three tries in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
MSU has wins over Valparaiso (2023) and Evansville (2025).
The Racers have lost to Drake (2023), Missouri State (2024) and Bradley (2025).
MSU in 2025 Arch Madness
Milton and Harcum led the Racers each with 37 points in MSU's two games in St. Louis for a scoring average of 18.5ppg.
Ellington was second with 25 points on 11-20FG and he led the team with 19 rebounds (9.5rpg).
Wood had 16 assists and only two turnovers.
Harcum was 12-23 in his two games from the field and 9-16 from the 3-point line (.563).
Milton hit 7-13 from the 3-point line (.538).
Harcum and Milton combined for 16-29 from the 3-point line (.551).
The Racers were 45-111 from the field (.405), 20-53 from 3-point range (.377) and 26-38 from the free throw line (.684).
MSU had 32 assists on their 45 field goals.
MSU All-Time Arch Madness
In MSU's player records for career in the MVC Tournament for five games played in three appearances: Rob Perry is MSU's scoring leader with 39 points, while JaCobi Wood and Quincy Anderson are second each with with 32 points. Nick Ellington is MSU's rebound leader with 28 and Wood is MSU's assist leader with 28.
As a team at the MVC Tournament, the Racers are (111-294FG) .377, (35-112 3PT) .312 and (54-82 FT) .658 in five games.
Player Career Notes
Wood finishes with 95 games played for MSU with 1,146 points (20th all-time at MSU) and became the 48th member of the MSU 1000-Point Club in the game against Belmont (Jan 25).
Wood is the 33rd fastest to reach 1,000 points at MSU.
Wood finishes with 431 career assists in MSU games for fourth place all-time and one of only six MSU players to reach 400.
Wood had 16 assists in the two games two surpass Glen Green (1979-83) at 423.
Wood's career between Belmont and MSU saw him play in 157 games with 1,688 points, 504 rebounds, 566 assists and 165 steals.
Ellington played 64 games for the Racers and finished with 672 points and is 25^th all-time at MSU among two-year players.
Ellington's career field goal percentage of .576 (266-462) puts him 11th all-time at MSU in field goal percentage.
His 369 rebounds put him 12^th all-time at MSU among two-year players.
Ellington's career rebound average of 5.8rpg is 39^th all-time at MSU.
Harcum finished with 72 made 3-pointers to make him 21^st all-time in single-season threes and the 23^rd Racer to do so.
Harcum's 31-point performance in the Evansville game was his career-high.
He set the MVC Tournament single-game three-point percentage record (minimum three attempts) going 7-for-7 from three-point range and eclipsing the previous record set by Illinois State's Shawn Jeppson (6-for-6) vs. Drake March 2, 2002.
Harcum has 1,202 career points in 116 games between Appalachian State and MSU.
Milton saved his best for last as he scored 37 points in the two games against Evansville and Bradley for his best two-game performance in scoring in 2024-25.
Milton's 23 points against UE was his MSU best in 33 games.
Milton has 1,605 career points in 129 games between WKU, Pine Bluff and the Racers.
Alden Applewhite has 545 career points in 86 games between Mississippi State, Portland and MSU.
AJ Ferguson started all 32 games as a Racer and has 918 career points in 97 games between East Central (OK), Southern Illinois and MSU.
KyeRon Lindsay has 293 career points in 50 games between Georgia, Texas Tech and the Racers.
Justin Morgan has played 91 games in his career at MSU and has 271 points.

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