Racers Drop Nail-Biter to Miami in Last Non-Conference Game of 2008-09 Campaign

Sunday, December 21

Oxford, Ohio

1 p.m.

Murray State

Miami University (Ohio)

Racers Drop Nail-Biter to Miami in Last Non-Conference Game of 2008-09 Campaign

12/21/2008 6:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Senior Ashley Hayes recorded her second double-double in a row, but it was not enough as the Murray State women's basketball team fell to Miami (Ohio), 73-69, in Oxford, Ohio.

“It was a hard fought ball game,” said head coach Rob Cross. “Unfortunately some of the shots that would normally fall for us didn't tonight and we gave up a couple of big offensive rebounds down the stretch.”

Hayes tallied 23 points and tied a season-high with 13 rebounds to lead all scorers for both teams. Senior Amber Guffey added 14 points, while senior Angela Mullins tallied 10 points for her second game with 10 or more points this season.

Like last year's battle in Murray, free-throw shooting turned out to be the difference in the game. The Redhawks (7-3, 0-0 Mid-American) made 17-of-23 shots from the charity stripe, while the Racers (6-6, 1-1 Ohio Valley Conference) connected on 13-of-17.

The opening seven minutes of the game were a close battle, with no team leading by more than two points. The Redhawks earned a 14-10 advantage with 12:50 left on the clock, but the Racers kept pushing and over the next four minutes went on a 6-1 run to take a one point advantage. The first four points of the run were scored by Paige Guffey, with a trey and a free-throw from a Miami technical foul.

The back-and-forth battle resumed until the Redhawks earned a six-point lead with a 5-0 run after the third media time out over a two minute span. Miami held on to a four to six point advantage for most of the remainder of the half before the Racers started a 13-5 run with 3:30 left on the clock to take a 33-32 advantage into the locker room. The first nine points for MSU came from three pointers. Two of the three shots come from freshman Rachael Isom, which tied a career-high for three's made in a single game.

The Redhawks earned the first bucket of the second half, before the Racers started a 6-0 run in the first two minutes. Miami MSU regained a one-point lead over the next two minutes with a 4-0 run of its own. followed that run with a 9-0 run to take a 43-39 advantage with 15 minutes left in the half.

The lead on the scoreboard then toggled back-and-forth for the next five minutes, with no team leading by more than two points until the Racers took a four-point advantage with just over eight minutes left on the clock. Miami tied the game at 54 with 6:45 left, but Hayes hit a triple to give MSU back the lead. The Redhawks then started a 4-0 run to take back the advantage before a battle for the lead began again.

With 3:30 left in the game Miami started a 7-1 run that gave them a five-point advantage with just over two remaining on the clock. Two free throws by Paige Guffey with 2:17 left sparked a 5-0 run over the next 45 seconds to tie the game at 65. The Redhawks scored on their next possession and started a 4-0 run over the next 30 seconds to own a 69-65 advantage with 42 second left on the clock. Paige Guffey then scored on a off-balance jumper in the lane to cut the lead to two with 32 tick left.

Miami's Jenna Schone then connected on two free throws to make it a two possession game. Amber Guffey was then fouled on her way to the basket and cut the deficit to two with 20 seconds left. Schone then made good on two more free throws with 13 seconds left and held on for the 73-69 victory.

The Racers will now have 15 days off before their next outing. MSU will remain on the road for the next game when they face UT-Martin, Jan. 5, 2009 at 5:30 p.m.