The Murray State Racers men’s basketball team fell to the University of Ottawa Gee Gees Sunday 81-57 in the first of four summer exhibition games in Canada.
The Racers posted three players in double-figure scoring with 12 points from Bryce Jones and 10 each from Wayne Langston and Jeffery Moss.
The first time out after only 10 practices proved to be too much for the Racers as they faced an Ottawa team that played for the Canadian national title in March and also made a summer exhibition tour of South Korea. The game was played according to international rules as well, which included a 24-shot clock and a wider lane.
“Ottawa put their big guys out on the perimeter and really stretched our defense,” said MSU Head Coach Matt McMahon. “They had five 3-point shooters on the floor and we really struggled to guard that. I obvious didn’t want a defeat that bad, but it was similar to what I was expecting from an experience point of view with all they have. It gives us a film to look at and help our guys get better.”
The Racers are back action for their second of three games on their Canadian tour Monday when they take on the reigning national champion Carleton University Ravens. Tip time is 6 p.m. CT at the Raven’s Nest Arena in Ottawa.
The Racers experienced a slow start from the field when they started 3-of-13 and fell behind Ottawa 22-12 after the first quarter. MSU finished the half on a good run and won the second quarter 14-11 to trail 33-25 at intermission. MSU got as close as eight points early in the third quarter, but a Gee Gees run ended the quarter with the Racers trailing 59-44.
The Racers just didn’t knock down shots and ended the game 22-of-62 from the field for 36 percent. From the 3-point line, MSU finished 3-of-20 for 15 percent. The Gee Gees were 27-of-70 from the field for 39 percent and 17-of-42 from the 3-point line for 40 percent.
“We need to get the ball inside to Wayne,” McMahon added. “He was 4-of-6 down low and was very efficient on the block and we didn’t get him enough touches.”
Many Murray State fans may wonder how the University of Ottawa got their Gee Gees nickname. As it turns out, the nickname comes from horse racing as does MSU’s Racers nickname. A Gee Gee is the first horse out of the gate in a race.
The MSU team had the chance to tour downtown Ottawa on Sunday morning. The tour was led by an excellent guide with lots of knowledge of the capital city of Canada. The Racers saw all of the government buildings and a close up look at Canada’s famous Rideau Canal. MSU also visited a street carnival in the heart of Ottawa.
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