If any team personifies a school’s nickname it’s, the Murray State Racers. The team’s mission against Eastern Thursday night will be to run the Panthers off the Lantz Arena floor.

“They like to get on the run and they have a lot of athletes,” senior guard Henry Domercant said.

The Panthers may be playing Murray State at exactly the wrong time as well. That is assuming there is ever a good time. Murray State has been in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship game 12 of the last 13 years and has proven itself as a force in the conference. However, the Racers are coming off a last-second 66-63 home loss to Austin Peay after Governor guard Corey Gibson hit a three-pointer with less than a second left to steal the win.

“I didn’t think any team in the country could come into (the Regional Special Events Center) and beat us, but Austin Peay did,” Racers head coach Tevester Anderson said in the post-game press conference.

Murray State may come into Charleston with argueably its most balanced team ever with four of its starters averaging double digits in points and three averaging more than five rebounds.

“Top to bottom, (they are) the most athletic team in the league,” Panthers head coach Rick Samuels said of the Racers.

A big factor to the success of Murray State will be the play of senior center James Singleton, who is nearly averaging a double-double with 11 points per game and 9.8 rebounds. Singleton led the Racers in rebounding and field goal percentage last season but has been called on to produce more points in 2002-2003.

Singelton came to Murray State as a junior college transfer from Mississippi after being named a Top 15 player in Chicago at Hirsch Metro High School.

“I think he’s one of the best and most active post players in the league” Samuels said. “He has become a very improved offensive threat.”

Singleton’s career-high point total came during the 103-56 blowout win over the Panthers in the first round of the 2002 OVC Tournament. That meeting was the last time the two schools have hooked up, and it’s safe to say Panther players haven’t forgotten the margin.

“For us to finish in first or second place (in conference) we have to win games like this at home,” Samuels said.

The Panthers will also have to contend with the instant offense of Racers’ leading scorer Chris Shumate. The Murray State guard is averging 12.5 points per game and is one of the biggest threats from beyond the arc in the OVC.

Samuels has called Schumate one of the best perimeter players in the OVC, but may have an advantage by testing his skills against a performer of similar talents earlier this season in Illinois’ Sean Harrington.

Schumate played in only four games last season before suffering a severe stomach virus that dopped his weight from 200 to 173. He was soon granted a medical reshirt.

Eastern will combat Schumate’s offensive firepower with the nation’s leading scorer Henry Domercant.

The Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Player of the Year is averaging 26.9 points and has averaged 30 points in his last four games after Christmas.

One key for the Panthers will be the possible return of center Jan Thompson. Domercant constantly mentions how he is able to get open easier in Eastern’s motion offense becuase of the 6-foot-11 senior.

“It’s simply all about executing very crisply becuase they defend real hard,” Domercant said.

Junior forward Jesse Mackison has contributed more since he’s recovered from his broken thumb injury and the OVC season has started.

Mackinson is the Panther’s third-leading scorer with 11.8 points per game after earning 18 and 19 points against Southeast Missouri and Morehead State.

However, Samuels does realize that this stretch of four home games to end the month of January are crucial to turning around the Panthers season.

“We have to take advantage of this opportunity,” Samuels said “if we can put together a win streak, we’ll be right back among the OVC leaders.”