Murray State beats Wichita State 93-87 in exhibition road victory

The Murray State men’s basketball team opened exhibition play on Wednesday night with a 93-87 road victory over Wichita State, landing four players in double figures.

Murray State relied on a balanced offensive attack led by the reigning Missouri Valley Freshman of the Year, who scored 17 points while shooting 6-for-7 at the free throw line and adding six assists. Brayden Shorter contributed 16 points, hitting a pair of first-half three-pointers before scoring 10 points in the second half. Christian Jones posted 14 points, four rebounds, and three steals, while Talis Soulhac rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points and six rebounds, tying Brigham Rogers for the team high on the boards.

The Racers faced a one-point deficit at halftime before mounting a 14-8 scoring run over a five-minute stretch midway through the second half to pull even. A Wichita State jumper briefly restored a one-point lead for the hosts, which marked their final advantage of the night. Murray State responded by rattling off nine of the next 12 points to claim an 80-70 lead with just over five minutes remaining.

Wichita State, listed as the presumptive preseason favorite in the American Conference, chipped away at the margin down the stretch. The highlight of the closing sequences came when the Racers secured three consecutive offensive rebounds inside the final two minutes, an effort capped by Rogers’ tip-in basket. Murray State sealed the win by converting 5 of 6 free throws in the final 40 seconds.

For the game, Murray State shot 43 percent overall, connected on 11 three-pointers at a 42 percent clip, and made 81 percent of their free throws. All 10 Racers who saw playing time scored, and nine players recorded a rebound. The team forced Wichita State into 15 turnovers, turning those miscues into 14 points, while also totaling 28 points in the paint and 18 fast-break points.

Wichita State finished the contest shooting 47 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc, holding a narrow 39-36 rebounding advantage. Dillon Battie led all players with a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds for the hosts, joined in double figures by Jahari Long with 14 points and Bryce Heard with 10 points.