Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
UT Chattanooga
Women's Basketball Falls At UTC
11/24/2007 6:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Murray State women's basketball team used a physical, up-tempo defense that often frustrated Panera Bread Challenge host Tennessee-Chattanooga, but the Lady Mocs were able to stay with it, using a second-half run to push past the Racers 68-58 last night (Friday). The game was the 1,000th contest in MSU women's basketball history.
UTC (4-1) scored the first nine points of the game before a jumper by senior guard Alaina Lee put Murray State (2-2) on the scoreboard. Trailing 11-2, the Racers scored the next five points when junior guard Amber Guffey hit a three-pointer, then made two free throws to narrow the gap to 11-7. MSU trailed 24-19 when a three from junior guard Paige Guffey and a layup by junior guard/forward Ashley Nichole Hayes knotted the game at 24-24. The Racers tied the game once more, 26-26, and kept pace, but the Lady Mocs scored the last three points of the half to take a 32-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
As it had opened the first half, UTC used another 9-0 to push ahead. Leading 34-30 early in the second half, the Lady Mocs scored the next nine points to forge a 43-30 lead. Tennessee-Chattanooga held that 13-point lead, 56-43 with 9:03 left in regulation, when the Racers made their move.
Back-to-back jumpers by senior guard Shaleea Petty and back-to-back layups by Hayes gave MSU an 8-0 run to cut the Lady Mocs lead to 56-51 with 6:40 remaining. UTC then made a 6-0 run to keep Murray State at arm's length the rest of the way.
Amber Guffey led the Racers with 19 points, going 5-for-6 from the line. She missed on her fifth free-throw attempt, having opened the season making her first 23 free-throw attempts. Hayes got her second straight double-double, getting 12 points and grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds, 10 on the defensive end. Lee chipped in 10 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the floor, having played an effectively tenacious defense against speedy UTC point guard Laura Hall.
Amber Guffey had six rebounds, while sophomore forward Jasmyne Thornton grabbed five, all on the defensive end. Paige Guffey had a team-high four assists, while Thornton had two steals.
Tennessee-Chattanooga was led by Alex Anderson, who had 24 points and eight rebounds, going 8-for-9 from the line. Shanara Hollinquest added 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the floor. Jenaya Wade-Fray had 11 rebounds for the Lady Mocs, while Hall had six assists.
Murray State will face Delaware in the second round of the Panera Bread Challenge. That game will be played today (Saturday) at 4 p.m. CT.
