Murray State
Tennessee State
18-0 run early in the first half sparks Lady Racers to 71-43 win
2/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Murray State Lady Racers trailed 5-2 to visiting Tennessee State early in the first half, but an 18-0 run provided the spark for the 71-43 win in Ohio Valley Conference action tonight.
The 18 unanswered points over a six-minute stretch is the longest run of the season for Murray State.
The Lady Racers forced 33 turnovers in the game with the help of a season-high 19 steals, the most for MSU in a single game since swiping 23 at Austin Peay on Jan. 25, 1990, and tying the fifth-most steals in a single game in Lady Racer history.
A three-point play by senior guard Stacy Holmes tied the game at 5-5 with 15:06 left in the first half. A three-pointer by senior guard Megan Fuqua was followed by layups by sophomore center Lori Trumblee and junior forward Kaleena Miller.
Freshman guard Ashley Hayes popped in a three, and Fuqua capped the run with a three-pointer and a layup to give Murray State (11-14, 7-7 OVC) a 20-5 lead with 10:17 left in the half.
The Lady Racers closed out the first half on a 25-9 run to take a 45-20 lead at the half. The MSU defense held the Lady Tigers (1-22, 0-13 OVC) to 32-percent (8-for-25) shooting in the first half. Murray State swiped 10 steals in the first half alone, led by Trumblee's four.
Junior guard Rebecca Remington hit back-to-back jumpers to open the second half to push the Lady Racer lead to 29 points, 49-20, its largest lead of the game. Despite a stretch of six minutes where neither team scored, Tennessee State was not able to get closer than 20 points, as Murray State kept the 71-43 lead.
Tennessee State put up only 14 shots in the second half, hitting seven of its 14 tries from the field.
"We felt like we needed to play more zone down the stretch," said MSU head coach Joi Williams. "We wanted to force things outside. We did a better job on the boards than in the past. I am proud of our defensive effort tonight, and I hope we just build on it."
The game marked Murray State's first home game since Jan. 31, returning to the Regional Special Events Center after a five-game road swing in which the Lady Racers went 2-3. MSU closes out its regular-season schedule with three games at home, including tonight's win.
Murray State was led by Fuqua's 15 points. Remington added 14 points, while Holmes put in 12 with a team-high eight rebounds.
Trumblee finished with five rebounds and a game-high five steals, also a career-high. Holmes took away four steals, tying a career-high, while Fuqua had three, tying a season-high.
Junior guard Brittany Park handed out a game-high four assists, while sophomore guard Jill Fulkerson had three.
Tennessee State was paced by 14 points from Kisha Stewart. Kendra Bailey added seven points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Odessa Kelly had seven rebounds. Lakisha Clay had a team-high two assists, while Bailey and KaSheena Powe had a team-high two steals.
Murray State has a full week off before returning to the hardwood on Feb. 26 against Eastern Illinois. Tipoff is scheduled for 5;15 p., and the game can be heard through the "Teamline" links at www.GoRacers.com or locally through WNBS (1340 AM).
