HENDERSON, Nev. (Interstat) — Murray State rode a blistering shooting performance to a 115-100 men’s college basketball victory over Akron on Saturday at Dollar Loan Center. The Racers shot 58% from the field and made 18 3-pointers to secure the win. Layne Taylor scored 23 points and dished eight assists for Murray State. JJ Traynor added 16 points and eight rebounds. Akron’s Tavari Johnson led all scorers with 28 points. Murray State improved to 8-3. Akron fell to 8-3.

HENDERSON, Nev. (Interstat) — In a neutral-site shootout that defied pregame projections, the Murray State Racers rode a historic offensive performance to a 115-100 victory over the Akron Zips in a non-conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Dollar Loan Center. The Racers, entering as 6.5-point underdogs, shredded one of the nation’s stingiest defenses with a blistering display of efficiency and firepower. Murray State’s 115 points, scored on just 83 possessions, translated to an astronomical offensive rating of 138.8. They shot 58% from the field and a scorching 56.3% from 3-point range, connecting on 18 of 32 attempts from beyond the arc. Akron, which had been given a 78% probability to win by advanced metrics, found itself in an unfamiliar track meet. The Zips scored a respectable 100 points on 84 possessions but could not keep pace with the Racers’ torrent of scoring. Akron shot 48.7% overall and 38.9% on 3-pointers but was undone by a stark disparity in ball security and perimeter defense. Murray State forced 16 Akron turnovers while committing only seven, and the Racers’ 18 made 3-pointers dwarfed Akron’s seven. The game’s most pivotal sequence unfolded late in the first half, turning a competitive contest into a showcase for Murray State’s depth. With the Racers leading 31-27 and under five minutes remaining, Akron’s Tavari Johnson hit a stepback jumper. On the ensuing possession, Murray State’s Javon Jackson answered with a 3-pointer. After a Johnson turnover, Murray State’s Roman Domon, a reserve forward from France, drilled a 3-pointer. Following an Akron miss, Domon struck again from deep, pushing the lead to 40-31 and forcing an Akron timeout. Domon’s personal 6-0 burst in 40 seconds ignited a larger 14-4 Racers run to close the half. The surge was capped by a Javon Jackson turnaround jumper at the buzzer, sending Murray State into halftime with a 47-42 lead and critical momentum. Domon scored all 13 of his points in the first half, providing a vital spark off the bench. Akron’s Tavari Johnson kept the Zips within striking distance with a game-high 28 points, but Murray State’s balanced attack proved overwhelming. Layne Taylor orchestrated the offense with 23 points and eight assists. Javon Jackson added 20 points and five assists, and JJ Traynor contributed 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Fredrick King anchored the defense with four blocks. The Racers put the game out of reach early in the second half. Leading 53-50, Murray State unleashed a 12-2 run, fueled by 3-pointers from Mason Miller and Layne Taylor, to open a 65-52 advantage. Akron never got the deficit back to single digits thereafter, as the Racers’ offense continued to operate at a breathtaking pace, eventually building a lead as large as 22 points. Sharron Young scored 20 points for Akron, and Amani Lyles added 16 points and five assists, but the Zips had no answer for Murray State’s offensive onslaught. The victory improved Murray State’s record to 8-3, matching Akron’s mark. The Racers have won three straight games, while the Zips saw a three-game winning streak snapped. The combined score of 215 points sailed over the pregame over/under line of 175.5. Murray State will host Drake on Thursday. Akron returns home to face Eastern Michigan on Friday.

HENDERSON, Nev. (Interstat) — Two of the nation’s hotter mid-major men’s basketball teams will meet in a neutral-site showdown Saturday when the Akron Zips face the Murray State Racers at the Dollar Loan Center. Akron (8-2) enters on a five-game winning streak, averaging 96.6 points per game during that stretch. The Zips are led by dynamic guard Tavari Johnson, who is coming off a 23-point, five-assist performance in a rout of Bucknell and a 35-point outburst in a narrow loss to Yale. Johnson has dished out 31 assists over his last four games, orchestrating one of the most efficient offenses in the country. Murray State (7-3) has won three straight, including an 84-52 demolition of Morehead State and a resilient 96-95 road victory at George Washington. The Racers are paced by guard Roman Domon, who has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games. Domon is averaging 12.9 points per game and provides steady backcourt play. This matchup pits Akron’s high-octane attack against a Murray State team that has shown both explosive potential, scoring 99 points twice this season, and grit in close games. The Zips’ two losses came against power conference foe Purdue and a strong Yale team. The Racers’ three defeats were by a combined 13 points, indicating they have been competitive in every outing. The game is a departure from both teams’ typical schedules, serving as a standalone test before conference play resumes. Akron will begin Mid-American Conference action in January, while Murray State competes in the Missouri Valley Conference. Saturday’s contest offers a prime opportunity for both squads to bolster their postseason resumes with a quality non-conference victory. The guard duel between Akron’s Johnson and Murray State’s Domon will be central to the outcome, as each player sets the tone for his team’s offensive execution. Tip-off is set for Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada.