Murray State University Athletics
Lady Racers hope to use momentum against C-USA foe UNC Charlotte
12/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Coming off a close road win on Saturday at Arkansas-Little Rock, the Lady Racers (3-2) face another tough task at home, playing host to Conference-USA member UNC-Charlotte (7-0) tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7 p.m. in the Regional Special Events Center.
“Getting that win (at Arkansas-Little Rock) on the road was a big game for us,” head coach Joi Felton said. “It helps build confidence.”
The Lady Racers were led in the game by sophomore guard Ashley Hayes, who had a career-high 29 points. She also tied a school record by connecting on eight three-point baskets.
For her efforts, Hayes was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week, the second Lady Racer to achieve that honor in as many weeks. The other player receiving the accolade was senior guard Rebecca Remington.
Remington co-leads the OVC with 21.2 points per game, ranked sixth in the nation this week. Hayes' 3.2 three-pointers per game ranks seventh in NCAA Division I. Hayes is 10th in the OVC at 12.2 points per game, and has averaged 27 ppg over her last two games.
Freshman guard Shaleea Petty ranks third in the OVC with 3.0 steals per game, followed closely by Remington at 2.8 steals per game. Petty is also tied for fourth in the OVC with 4.0 assists per game, while senior forward Kaleena Miller is seventh with 6.8 rebounds per game.
The 49ers, who were rated 22nd in this week's Sagarin ratings, average four players in double figures. They are led by reigning co-Conference USA Player of the Week junior guard Sakellie Daniels, who is averaging 15.0 points per game, to go along with 7.0 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. Daniels, whose assist-to-turnover ratio is nearly 2-to-1 (43-to-22, 1.95) is also averaging a team-high 32.1 minutes per game. The 49ers are also led by Pam Brown (13.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg), Sabrina Gregory (11.7 ppg), Courtney Williams (10.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Tameka Smith (9.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg).
“When you face good teams, you have to take care of the basketball, play good defense and rebound,” Felton said. “Charlotte is averaging 18 offensive rebounds a game, and that's a concern for us that we have to be aware of. When you play against a good team like this, you have to play without many mistakes. It's important for us to get off to a good start and not make many mental errors.”
The 49ers come off a 79-68 win on Monday night against East Tennessee State. Gregory had 18 points, while Brown added 10 points and eight rebounds.
“We will gain a lot of experience that will help us prepare for when we have big games down the road,” Felton said. “Our conference offers us challenges, but we will have the experience of playing the big teams in big games. We will learn a lot from this game, and we have a great opportunity to improve."
Murray State hosts UNC Charlotte on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Lady Racers will be off until Dec. 17, when they host Arkansas-Little Rock.
