Murray State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Visits Tennessee Tech
2/26/2008 6:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
In terms of wins and losses, no place is as inhospitable to the Murray State women's basketball team than Tennessee Tech's Hooper Eblen Center. While the floors are made of hardwood, they might as well be kryptonite for the Racers, who are 1-30 in games played in Cookeville, with 15 straight losses to the Golden Eagles on the road.
However, neither team is where it used to be. Murray State (19-7, 13-5 OVC) has definitely improved its lot over years past, while Tennessee Tech -- which has won or shared 16 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season titles -- is fighting for the eighth and final spot in this year's OVC Championship Tournament.
When the teams meet on Thursday (8 p.m. tipoff), each will naturally want to win, but there are so many emotional incentives going for both teams. Tennessee Tech -- playing its final home game of the regular season -- will honor its outgoing seniors prior to tipoff. Murray State wants to get the "magic number" of 20 wins and get as high a seed as possible, perhaps earning at least a second straight berth into the Women's NIT. The Golden Eagles want to keep its home win streak against MSU going. The Racers would like to end it.
"The main challenge will be their interior," said MSU head coach Jody Adams, "plus, they're fighting to be in the tournament. Their post players are very versatile; they can play well inside and out. They have good speed in their guards, and they look to push the tempo of the game. They also play an intense style of defense."
In the last meeting on Jan. 24 in Murray, the Racers used a 14-2 run in the first half to wrest the lead from the Golden Eagles and push on to a 36-29 halftime score. Tennessee Tech used a 7-0 run early in the second half to pull to within two points, but a 12-2 run by MSU from that point kept the game in hand, winning 67-55.
Tech's Kristina Tyler scored 17 of her game-high 32 points in the second half on 7-for-10 shooting, but had no scoring support in the latter period, as the rest of the team put in nine points in that half. Ashley Hayes paced the Racers with 14 second-half points, finishing with a team-high 27 to go with a game-high seven rebounds. Angela Brown also had seven rebounds and three blocked shots, two of which came in the second half, while Alaina Lee scored 15 points to go with five rebounds and four assists.
Murray State shot 45.8 percent (27-for-59) from the field, holding Tech to 32.8-percent shooting (21-for-64), including a 3-for-20 night (15 percent) from three-point range. Rebounds were almost even, with MSU getting 40 rebounds to the Golden Eagles' 39.
In the last game at Tennessee Tech (Jan. 25, 2007), Murray State was held to 15 second-half points on 6-for-27 shooting in the Golden Eagles' 54-49 win. The Racers had 15 steals in the game and scored 26 points off of Tech turnovers, but the Golden Eagles out-rebounded MSU 47-31 and had 16 second-chance points in the game to Murray State's four.
Adams is making her first visit to Tennessee Tech as a head coach, and although she knows of Murray State's history in Cookeville, it is her 2007-08 team that she is focused on, and it is the game at hand that she will be coaching, not the games of the past.
This game will be a challenge for the Racers, who have had great success this month, having won five of its six games in February. Tennessee Tech will be focused on the game as well, for what it means for the team and its seniors. It should make for quite a contest, with the winning team earning the spoils.
THIS WEEK'S NUMBER ONES
Murray State became the top scoring team in the OVC this week, moving past Eastern Kentucky. The Racers average 73.7 points per game overall, 72.7 ppg in conference play.
Murray State also ranks No. 1 in the conference in scoring margin (+9.0 ppg), field-goal percentage (.442), free-throw percentage (.822), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.05) and fewest turnovers (13.5 per game).
Individually, Ashley Hayes leads the OVC in scoring at 18.8 points per game, while Amber Guffey is third at 17.9 ppg. Guffey is first in free-throw percentage at 91 percent, while Shaleea Petty leads the OVC in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.18. Hayes also leads the OVC with 6.5 defensive rebounds per game.
Petty is second in the league with 2.44 steals per game, while Hayes is third with 8.7 rebounds per game. Angela Brown is third in the OVC field-goal percentage at .539, while Hayes is 10th at .467. Guffey is third in assists with 4.58 per game, while Petty is fifth with 3.92 per game. Brown is third in blocked shots with 1.46 per game, while Guffey is third in three-pointers per game at 2.15. Alaina Lee is sixth in three-point shooting at 41.7 percent, while Guffey is seventh at 41.5 percent. Hayes ranks 10th in the OVC in offensive rebounds with 2.15 per game.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Murray State held its spot in this week's NCAA Division I rankings at No. 2 in free-throw percentage. The Racers are hitting at an 82.2-percent clip, just behind No. 1 Idaho State's 82.5 percent.
Murray State ranks fifth in the nation in fewest turnovers, 15th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 27th in scoring, 32ndin field-goal percentage, 33rd in three-point field-goal percentage, 51st in three-pointers per game, 51st in win percentage, 56th in scoring margin, 67th in personal fouls per game and 94th in assists per game.
Individually, Amber Guffey still ranks third in the nation in free-throw shooting. She is also 27th in three-point field-goal percentage, 40th in scoring, 60th in assists and 84th in three-pointers per game. Shaleea Petty is eighth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and 71st in steals per game, while Ashley Hayes is 25th in scoring and 65th in rebounding. Angela Brown is 94th in blocked shots per game.
ONE GOOD SCORER DESERVES ANOTHER
Ashley Hayes and Amber Guffey rank fifth among scoring duos in Division I. The two combine for 36.7 points per game. Idaho State's Natalie Doma and Andrea Lightfoot top the list, combining for 41.1 points per game.
NOT TIRED OF TOEING THE LINE
Murray State is hitting its clutch free throws with deadly accuracy. With less than two minutes in regulation and either team having a single-digit lead, the Racers are 38-for-48 (79.2 percent) overall, 32-for-38 (84.2 percent) in games that they win under those circumstances.
In the last four minutes of all of its games, Murray State is hitting 78 percent from the line (85-for-109), while its opponents are hitting 60.8 percent (48-for-79).
RACER GAME CENTRAL
Murray State Racers (19-7, 13-5 OVC)
at Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (8-21, 7-12 OVC)
Thursday, Feb. 27, 8:00 p.m. || Hooper Eblen Center (10,152), Cookeville, Tenn.
GAME-DAY INFORMATION
Radio: WNBS (1340 AM / Josh Perigo)
Listen Live: www.GoRacers.com
Video Streaming: www.OVCsports.tv
Live Stats: Click Here
Game Notes: Click Here
CURRENT OVC STANDINGS (OVC / All)
Southeast Missouri (16-2 / 21-6)
Samford (14-4 / 21-7)
MURRAY STATE (13-5 / 19-7)
Eastern Illinois (13-5 / 15-12)
Tennessee State (9-9 / 12-15)
Eastern Kentucky (8-10 / 13-12)
Jacksonville State (8-10 / 11-16)
Morehead State (7-11 / 9-17)
Tennessee Tech (7-12 / 8-21)
Austin Peay (3-15 / 6-21)
UT Martin (2-17 / 5-24)
IN THE OVC TONIGHT (Times given are Central Time.)
MURRAY STATE at Tennessee Tech, 8:00 p.m.
Tennessee State at Morehead State, 4:15
Austin Peay at Eastern Kentucky, 4:30
Jacksonville State at Eastern Illinois, 5:00
Samford at Southeast Missouri, 5:00
UT Martin is idle.
