Getty Head coach Matt McMahon of the Murray State Racers.
After splitting their regular season series, top seeds Belmont and Murray State, meet in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship game on Saturday at Ford Center. The winner not only gets the tournament title, but also a berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally on ESPN2. If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of Murray State vs Belmont on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV Stick, or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
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Sling TV
Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” package comes with 32 channels, including ESPN2. Sling is the cheapest streaming service with the ESPN channels if you plan on keeping it long term, but it also currently comes with a free trial that lasts through March 15:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Murray State vs Belmont live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your Sling credentials.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes with 10 hours of cloud DVR storage.
AT&T TV Now
AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) offers six different channel bundles. They range from 45 to 125 live TV channels, and they all include ESPN2. The “Plus” and “Max” bundles come with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for AT&T TV Now, you can watch a live stream of Murray State vs Belmont on your computer via the AT&T TV Now website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other compatible streaming device via the AT&T TV app. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your AT&T TV Now credentials.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV Now — no matter what channel package you choose — comes with included cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
ESPN2 is included in Hulu With Live TV, which comes with 60-plus live TV channels and Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch a live stream of Murray State vs Belmont on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your Hulu credentials.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
Murray State vs Belmont Preview
The OVC Championship is a rematch of last season, as Murray State and Belmont face off for the tournament title. Murray State has won two in a row, while Belmont is seeking their first since 2015.
The Racers bested No. 3 seed Austin Peay 73-61 on Friday for a chance to defend their title. Tevin Brown did the heavy lifting for Murray State with a game-high 24 points. KJ Williams added 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
“You talk about those top eight – any of them could start,” McMahon noted. “We don’t really get caught up in who starts. We just need production from as many guys as we can get it from. And I thought KJ, he’s a starter. He got voted 10th on the all-league team, and he’s a top-five player in our league. And he had 15 and 11 again tonight, coming off the weekend he just had at home against EKU and Austin Peay.
“We just need everyone to produce, and I’ve said it all year: the strength of our team is our team. Since the first week of December, we had a really tight-knit close group. They play for each other. They play extremely hard, and that’s why we’ve gotten better as the season’s gone on…and have an opportunity for a championship.”
Belmont has won 11 in a row, including a 60-50 win over Eastern Kentucky in the OVC semis on Friday. Seven players have five points or more for the Bruins, led by Adam Kunkel’s 15.
“I’m not saying I ever thought it was over, but I did feel like we were in control,” Belmont coach Casey Alexander told reporters. “I would have liked for us to finish the game. Because of a multitude of errors in the last two minutes, both effort-related and assignment-related and being lackadaisical, you name it, we just weren’t very good. But it always felt like we were in control of the game.”
Belmont and Murray State split their season series, each winning on their home floors.
“We’ll be ready,” McMahon said. “It’s a great opportunity. I know they have a very good team. They’ve won 11 or 12 in a row now [and] are playing good basketball. We’ll get back tonight and get prepared and ready to go, but we’re thankful for the opportunity to be playing for the Championship tomorrow night.”
Belmont is a 3-point favorite for the matchup, according to Odds Shark.