Tale of Two Halves: Racers Fall at Home to Belmont

Sunday, February 15

Murray, Ky.

5 p.m.

Murray State

19-9,11-6MVC

Belmont

24-4,14-3MVC

Belmont

Murray St.

Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics

2/15/2026 9:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

KJ Tenner Scored a career-high 21 points, but the Racers faded in the second half at home

The Murray State Racers built a 15-point halftime lead, but surrendered 63 points in the second Sunday night in an 87-70 loss to the Belmont Bruins at the CFSB Center in Murray, Kentucky.

The Racers (19-9) fell to 10-7 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Racers play Wednesday in Normal against Illinois State at CEFCU Arena at 8 p.m. on ESPNU, before they host Evansville on Saturday for their Senior Day celebration.

KJ Tenner had his best game in his first season with the Racers on a career-high 21 points, while MSU's Javon Jackson added 20 points for MSU's only two players in double-figure scoring.

Defending well in the first half, the Racers held the Bruins to 31 percent from the field and 3-of-12 from the 3-point line, while Tenner went to work and hit his first four 3-pointers.

The Racers made it to the halftime intermission with the lead 39-24.

Two minutes into the second half, the Racers enjoyed their largest lead of the day of 19 points, but by the end of the game, Belmont had its own 19-point lead with 41 seconds left.

The Bruins outscored the Racers 63-31 in the second half to take their sixth win against the Racers in the last seven meetings.

Game Notes

The Racers are 11-3 at home in the CFSB Center with one game remaining, Senior Day (Feb. 21) against Evansville.
The Racers had their fourth instance of a pair of players scoring 20 points in the same game and in back-to-back games as Tenner had his career-high 21 points and Jackson added 20.
This after Jackson scored 22 points and Romon Domon 20 in Thursday's Road win for the Racers at Indiana State.
For Jackson, it's his 12^th game this season of scoring 20 points or more.
Tenner hit his first four looks from the 3-point line marking the second time this has happened for the Racers this season.
Prior to Tenner's big day, he had never hit more than two 3-pointers in a game before.
Jan. 4, in MSU's 86-66 win at home over Bradley, Mathis Courbon did the same.
The Racers had a tough day at the free throw line (13-of-21) for just 62 percent, their lowest since hitting 57 percent (15-of-26) in a loss to McNeese in the Cayman Islands Classic.
The 63 points Belmont scored in the second half is the highest the Racers have given up this season and topped the 57 points Drake scored on MSU last month.
Other rare instances of MSU giving up a 60-point half include: at Arkansas (12-01-1990), when the Razorbacks scored 63 on the Racers I the second half.
Feb., 15, 1995 Tennessee scored 61 points in the second half on the Racers.
In the early years of the rivalry, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers put up 60 points in the second half on Feb. 27, 1956.
In a strange game, each team ended up having a 19-point lead.
The Racers went first in leading by 19 with 18:19 left in the game and Belmont had a 19-point lead with 41 seconds remaining.

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