Women?s Basketball Loses Close Game at Alabama State

Friday, November 21

Montgomery, Ala.

7 p.m.

Murray State

Alabama State

11/21/2008 6:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

After holding a three-point lead at the half, the Murray State women's basketball team fell by two-points, 59-61, to Alabama State in The Acadome.

The Racers (1-2, 0-0 Ohio Valley Conference) were led by senior Amber Guffey, who tallied a season-high 25 points and four rebounds. Fellow senior Ashley Hayes recorded MSU's first double-double of the 2008-09 campaign. The Humboldt, Tenn., native recorded 17 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Paige Guffey was the final Racer in double-digits in the points column, with 10.

MSU was plagued by cold shooting, sinking only 13 of 43 shots attempted from the field for a 30.2 shooting percentage. The team also shot just 27.8 percent (5-18) from beyond the arc. The Racers were not the only team struggling with their shots, as the Hornets (1-2, 0-0 SWAC) shot just 39.3 percent (24-61) from the field and 26.7 percent (4-15) from three-point range.

MSU started the game up two points after Amber Guffey shot two free-throws before the start of the game because Alabama State received a technical foul to start the game for not turning in its starters in on time. The Hornets quickly tied the score as Brina Thomas hit a jumper at 19:54. Alabama State then built a 13-point (19-6) lead with a 15-4 run over the next seven minutes. The Racers then cut the lead to four with a 10-1 run over the next 4:20. With 2:31 left in the opening stanza MSU started another double-digit run, 11-0, to take a three-point lead into the locker room. The run was capped off with a triple from Hayes with four seconds left on the clock.

The Racers came out of the intermission and pushed their lead out to six in the first two minutes, but an 8-2 Hornet's run over the next six minutes tied the game at 40. The teams then traded baskets and the led until the score was again knotted, this time at 55, with just under three minutes left in the game. Alabama State then finished the game with a 6-4 run, with all the points scored by both teams coming at the charity stripe to earn the 61-59 win.

Besides struggling with their shots the key to the win came at the boards, as the Racers were out-rebounded 40-31. The mark also included at 13-5 disadvantage on the offensive side.

MSU will look to rebound on its home court, Tuesday, Nov. 25 when the Racers host Mid-Continent University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the RSEC.

Notes: Except for one jumper by the Hornets with 30 seconds left in the second half, all the points in the last 4:54 of the game were scored at the free-throw line...MSU went 28-for-32 from the free-throw line, while Paige Guffey went 6-for-6 and Amber Guffey was 15-of-18.