MURRAY — Thirty minutes after Murray State’s 25-game home winning streak came to a thudding end in a 61-56 loss to Morehead State, Racer sixth-year men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon’s voice was strained. Almost hoarse.

While 2020 felt less like mystical, magical science fiction and more like a frustrating, feverish dystopia, the sports world in west Kentucky still churned out multiple riveting story lines of value and consequence.

In these first three Ohio Valley Conference games, albeit against powerhouses in Austin Peay and Belmont, the Murray State Racers have — admittedly — shown little identity, save a rip-roaring 40 minutes against the Governors on Dec. 8 at the CFSB Center.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Murray State finds itself still without a road win in the 2020-21 season, after Wednesday’s 68-55 loss to the Belmont Bruins at the Curb Event Center.

What is it about the road that makes college basketball so tough? A lack of comfort and rhythm on a foreign court? The bus ride? The intermittent fans, if they’re allowed in the arena, interjecting with absurdities?

PHOENIX — Former Murray State Racer Cameron Payne finished with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists on Wednesday night, helping the Phoenix Suns open the 2020-21 NBA season with a 106-102 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — A double-digit lead evaporated in the Dunn Center on Monday night, as Murray State fell at Austin Peay 74-70 to remain winless on the road in the 2020-21 season.

Through six games this season, Murray State men’s basketball has not uncorked its full offensive potential.

MURRAY — Following Saturday’s 64-60 conference-opening loss to Austin Peay in the CFSB Center, Murray State women’s basketball coach Rechelle Turner couldn’t focus on anything else.

On Thanksgiving morning, just 24 hours before facing Russellville in the opening round of the KHSAA Class A football playoffs, Crittenden County’s Tyler Boone received an important text message.

A preseason ACL injury during his junior football season didn’t deter Murray offensive lineman Gaige Jacobs.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday announced the team signed guard Shaq Buchanan. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

MURRAY — On the surface, Murray State and Transylvania just needed a basketball game.

Two tough halves of basketball have prevented the Murray State Racers from a sterling 5-0 start: The last 20 minutes against Middle Tennessee State, and the first 20 minutes against Southern Illinois.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Murray State was looking to finish off a big 3-0 week on Friday night at the Banterra Center against Southern Illinois.

Eight days removed from a 78-61 shellacking at Middle Tennessee State, the Murray State Racers seem to have taken the defensive tonic.

Now in his second season in the National Basketball Association, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant and his sophomore head coach Taylor Jenkins are already on the same wavelength.

MURRAY — Nearly perfect, Lex Mayes was on Tuesday night at the CFSB Center, when the junior guard went 8-for-10 from the field and 6-for-7 from the arc — pacing Murray State to an 85-60 win over the Mississippi Valley State Devilettes.

MURRAY — Murray State moved its home winning streak to 24 games on Tuesday night, blasting Austin Peay 87-57 at the CFSB Center.

Three games into the 2020-21 men’s basketball season, Murray State’s Brion Whitley is the only starter who hasn’t scored in double digits.

MURRAY — Tevin Brown became the 47th Racer to join the 1,000-point club for his career, KJ Williams notched his 10th career double-double, and Murray State bounced back quickly from a lethargic loss against Middle Tennessee State with a strong 76-65 win against Illinois State on Saturday aft…

Following Wednesday’s dismantling at Middle Tennessee State University, in which Murray State fell 78-61 at the Murphy Center, sixth-year Murray State men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon didn’t place any of the blame on his players.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — For the first 13 minutes, Murray State looked like the better team. Poised. Composed. Effective.

MURRAY — Less than a week removed from her debut and double-double against 11th-ranked Kentucky, freshman center Katelyn Young couldn’t get the better of Evansville on Tuesday night at the CFSB Center — finishing with just five points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes.

It’s an extremely small sample size — seven points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists against hapless Division III Greenville University on Sunday night — but it was easy to see why Murray State’s newest face at point guard, Justice Hill, is nicknamed “Juice.”

MURRAY — Why, yes, Murray State did score the fourth-most points in a Division I basketball game on Sunday night at the CFSB Center, as the Racers opened the 2020-21 season with a bombastic 173-95 win over Division III Greenville University.

Already, 19 Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball games have transpired since the start of what everyone knew would be a tumultuous, tenuous 2020-21 college hoops season.

With Murray State men’s basketball set to begin an unprecedented 2020-21 campaign Saturday at home against in-state brethren Kentucky Wesleyan, sixth-year coach Matt McMahon and his staff might roll out the usual suspects for his starting five.

Ten missed free throws, sub-40% shooting and 32 turnovers didn’t help Murray State on Wednesday, when it found itself on the tough end of an 86-60 defeat to 11th-ranked Kentucky after opening the 2020-21 campaign on the road at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington.

The first branch on Isaac Brown’s coaching tree is as sturdy as they come.

First reported by NBA insider Keith Smith on Thursday afternoon, former Murray State Racer and 2015 NBA lottery pick Cameron Payne had his team option for 2020-21 picked up by the Phoenix Suns, extending his stay in the professional ranks for the foreseeable future.

Born on Nov. 10 at the Memphis Zoo in Memphis, Tennessee, the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies might have another future guard in waiting.

On March 12, 2016, the Murray Lady Tigers — a 29-game winning streak on the line — fought valiantly in the KHSAA Sweet 16 semifinals against the Butler Bearettes in Highland Heights, but eventually fell 68-58 to finish with a 35-2 record.

Even now, far removed from the college game, Ja Morant is dishing out assists for Murray State men’s basketball.

It felt strange.

Poised with one of her deepest, but unproven, rosters since taking the job at Murray State, Racer women’s basketball coach Rechelle Turner doesn’t want to live with consistently being picked to finish eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Just two weeks away from the start of what may be an unprecedented 2020-21 college basketball season, the Murray State Racers finally have some clarity on their non-conference schedule — as well as two “flex” games with league travel partner Austin Peay.

Murray State juniors Alexis Burpo and Macey Turley were named to the 2020-21 All-Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Team on Friday morning, in a vote from coaches and sports information directors from across the league.