Racers Down Tennessee Tech, 69-47, For Fifth-Straight Conference Victory

Saturday, January 17

Cookville, Tenn.

5 p.m.

Murray State

Tennessee Tech

Racers Down Tennessee Tech, 69-47, For Fifth-Straight Conference Victory

1/17/2009 6:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

The Murray State women's basketball team had a strong overall performance in their 69-47 victory over Tennessee Tech at the Eblen Center. The victory marked just the third for the Racers (11-6, 6-1 Ohio Valley Conference) over the Golden Eagles (4-14, 2-5 OVC) on the road and also the largest margin of victory in the series history. The previous largest margin of victory was 13 points, Feb. 19, 1996 in Murray.

“I think this was our best game in conference play by far this season,” said head coach Rob Cross. “People stepped up and played the way that we need them to play so it didn't have to be just Ashley and Amber. I have said all along that everyone on this team is very capable of getting into the game and playing well.”

Murray State saw double-digit scoring from four players, including a team-high 18 points from senior Ashley Hayes. Seniors Amber Guffey and Paige Guffey added 14 and 12 points, respectively, while junior Mallory Luckett tallied a career-high 11 points.

“One of the big things that helped us tonight was Mallory Luckett stepping up,” Cross said. “Not only in her game, but being ready to take shots. If she takes more shots that helps take some defensive pressure off Ashley Hayes and Amber Guffey.”

The Golden Eagles earned the first possession of the game and scored just 17 seconds in. TTU then held the Racers without a point until the 18:41 mark, when Luckett hit a lay-up to tie the game at two. Both teams then stepped up their defense and held each other scoreless for the next two minutes. The Golden Eagles were the first to get on the board again with a three-point play. Murray State's next score came with the clock stopped at 15:38 when Hayes hit the first of 10 free-throws in the half.

With just under 14 minutes left to play in the opening stanza Amber Guffey started an 8-0 run, scoring the first five herself, to give the Racers the lead for good in the half. TTU kept fighting and used several four and five point runs to cut the lead to one point with 2:17 remaining. The Golden Eagles' Krystal Stirrup had a chance to tie the game with 1:15 left in the half, but missed a free throw.

Senior Paige Guffey then started to hit three-point shots like she had done at the beginning of the game against Jacksonville State. The Albany, Ky., native landed two long three's in the final minute of the game to push the Racer's cushion to seven, 34-27, heading into the locker room.

The second half was all Murray State, as the Racers pushed their lead out to as many as 29 points. Murray State started the half with strong defense, holding the Golden Eagles scoreless for the first three minutes of the second half.

The Racers' earned the victory with strong shooting from the floor and beyond the arc. Murray State shot 48.1 percent from the filed and 40 percent from three-point range, while holding TTU to a 33.3 percent mark overall, and 12.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The Golden Eagles did earn a clear advantage in the rebounding column, 41-31, including a 17-4 mark on the offensive boards.

“We fell on the rebounding side largely because of the tremendous job that Tennessee Tech did on the offensive boards,” Cross said. “Practically the job the Megan Lyons did, with four offensive rebounds.”

The Racers will return to the RSEC for a three-game OVC home-stand over the next two weeks. Murray State will close out the first half of the conference schedule with games against Eastern Illinois (Jan. 22) and Southeast Missouri State (Jan. 24). Both games will begin at 5:15 p.m.

Notes: Four of Murray State's first eight points came from the free-throw line...junior Mallory Luckett scored seven points in the opening stanza, the most in the first half in a game this season...senior Jessica Jackson tallied her first points since Jan. 5 against UT Martin...freshman Kristen Kluempers saw her first action since Dec. 17, 2007 against Alabama A&M...Kluempers tied a career-high four points...Kayla Vance saw her first action since Dec. 19, 2007 against Houston Baptist...the Racers attempted only one free throw in the final 20 minutes of play, while TTU attempted zero.

Quotes

Head Coach Rob Cross

“Everybody that came in tonight did a good job. Pam Bell came in and gave us some good minutes, with three rebounds and a steal.”

“It was good to see some other players get into the game and give us some good performances.”