Murray State Basketball: 3 keys to upsetting Marquette in Round of 64

3. Control the 3-point line on defense

The Murray State Racers have Ja Morant on offense but they’re a solid defensive team as well. They were undefeated (17-0) this season when holding teams below 70 points in 2018-19. To top that off, the Racers offense ranks 11th in the nation, producing 83.3 points per game.

The most interesting part of the Marquette Golden Eagles season has been the way that they lose. In games that they’ve made 10 3-pointers or more as a team, they’ve posted a record of 11-2. In contests where they’ve made less than 10 3-pointers, their record is a whole lot less impressive at 13-7.

The Golden Eagles have taken on a bit of a live by the 3, die by the 3 approach this season and it’s produced some interesting results. An average of 15.0 3-point attempts have gone up per game between Markus Howard and Sam Hauser. Putting Marquette in desperation mode from behind the arc will certainly help Murray State control the end result.

That’s also where Shaq Buchanan, OVC Defensive Player of the Year, comes into play. The Golden Eagles will certainly use their length in the frontcourt to their advantage so the Racers will need to be sure to make their presence known despite the disadvantage.