[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3959]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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         HONORING MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

 Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, today I rise to honor the Murray 
State University men's Basketball team for their success on the court 
this season.
  The Racers, led by Coach Tevester Anderson and leading scorer Justin 
Burdine, overcame injuries and illness, playing their last 15 games 
with just nine players in uniform, to finish the season at 19-13 and 
earn a trip to the NCAA tournament. After getting off to a fast start, 
the Racers experienced a severe setback, losing eight of ten games at 
one point to drop to 9-11, after beginning the season an impressive 7-
3. Entering the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, the Racers looked as 
if they had no shot to beat the heavily-favored Golden Eagles of 
Tennessee Tech. However, the Racers decided to forget about the 
rankings and experts and simply play the game with pure heart and 
determination. They knocked off Morehead State to advance to the OVC 
championship game, where they beat Tennessee Tech on a miraculous last-
second shot by team leader Justin Burdine. The Racers entered the NCAA 
tournament extremely hot, having won 10 of their last 11 games. 
Unfortunately, the Racers were unable to feed off their momentum late 
in the season against the University of Georgia, losing to the Bulldogs 
in the first round of the tournament.
  Overall, the Murray State Racers had a very successful and productive 
season. They overcame numerous hurdles to win the OVC championship and 
earn their 11th invitation to the NCAA tournament. They worked as a 
team all year to prove their critics wrong, and showed that they have 
the hearts of champions. I applaud Coach Anderson and his players for 
all that they accomplished.

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