Murray State University Athletics
Racers Set to Open Season at Alabama A&M
11/11/2009 3:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Murray State women's basketball team will open up the 2009-10 season on the road, making it the third-straight season that the Racers will begin the year away from the Regional Special Events Center. MSU travels to Huntsville, Ala., to battle with Alabama A&M, Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in T.M. Elmore Gymnasium.
Scouting Alabama A&M
The game will also be the first game for the Bulldogs. AAMU finished the 2008-09 season with an 11-18 record that included a 9-9 mark in the Southeastern Athletic Conference.
The Bulldogs return two of their top players for the 2008-09 squad that traveled to Murray a year ago. Seniors Katrich Williams and Dominisha Johnson led AAMU last year in just about every statistical category. Williams was the leading scorer for the Bulldogs, with 13.8 points per game, making her the only member of the team to average double-digits for the season. Williams was the main offensive threat for AAMU last season, with a .336 (121-360) field-goal percentage, a .306 (49-160) three-point field-goal percentage and a .790 (109-138) free-throw percentage. She also led the team with 52 steals. Johnson was the key defensive player for the Bulldogs, with a team high 113 rebounds (4.2 per game). She was also a strong shooter, with a .481 (52-108) field-goal percentage, while averaging five points per game.
AAMU returns nine players from last year's squad and has added four new players.
Last Time Against the Bulldogs
The Racers and AAMU meet Dec. 17, 2008 at the RSEC. MSU earned a 90-69 victory and improved its record over the Bulldogs to 3-0. Katrich Williams and Dominisha Johnson led AAMU with 15 points each. Williams added three rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Johnson led the team with seven rebounds.
Of the returning Racers, Mallory Schwab and Rachael Isom led the way with four points each. Almost every returner saw action in the game and scored at least one point for MSU in the victory.
The Series
This will be the fourth meeting between MSU and AAMU, and just the second in Huntsville, Ala. The Racers have been victorious in the first three outings. The last time the teams meet in T.M. Elmore Gymnasium, the Racers escaped with a 61-59 victory, Jan. 15, 2007.
The Schedule
Like every season, the MSU women's basketball team will have a challenging schedule to start the 2009-10 campaign. This year the Racers will face teams from eight of the 31 conferences in the NCAA Division I ranks. MSU will play three teams from the Missouri Valley (Evansville, Missouri State, Southern Illinois), two from Conference USA (Memphis and Marshall), and one team from the Big 12, Colonial, Mid-Eastern, Sun Belt, Summit League, and Southwestern.
A few highlights of the season include regional rivals and match ups with nationally renowned programs. The Racers will host regional rival and 2009 MVC Tournament Champion Evansville, Nov. 21 in the RSEC. MSU will also renew a rivalry with 2007 MVC Champion Southern Illinois, when the team travels to Carbondale, Ill., Dec. 19. MSU will also face C-USA powers Memphis and Marshall that will certainly test the youthful team. The Racers will also get to battle with Big-12 member and nationally renowned Missouri in Columbia, Mo., Dec. 12, on a regionally televised game.
Youth is the Name of the Game
After a 2008-09 campaign stacked with seniors, youth will be the name of the game for the Racers in 2009-10. MSU returns just three seniors and has no juniors. The rest of the 2009-10 roster consists of four sophomores and eight freshmen. Of the returning seven, only one, Mallory Luckett, was a starter in the 2008-09 season.
With only one other player averaging 10 minutes per game, one might think the outlook is bleak for the 2009-10 edition of the Racers. Questions may abound, but the program has come to expect to compete for championships and is working hard to deserve victory.
Recognizing Recruits
Recruiting is always a challenge for coaches. Did you find the right number of players to add, are they what we need position-wise, are they going to fit into our system? The questions can be endless, but when your first recruiting class as a head coach gets recognized by three different recruiting groups some of those questions may leave your mind - at least for a while.
Soon after the class was announced the honors started to appear. When Blue Star Basketball came out with its list of the top recruiting classes in the nation for 2009, Murray State saw its name among a select group of teams. The Racers 2009-10 freshman class was ranked No. 54 and was one of only a hand full of non-BCS schools on the list.
The class was also recognized by All-Star Girls Report as the best recruiting class in the Ohio Valley Conference, placing 50 spots higher than any other team in the conference.
The final recognition for the group came for the three players coming to Murray from the state of Kentucky. Kayla Cunningham, Jessica Holder and Mariah Robinson were all ranked in the top-10 of BlueChipCamp.com's list of the top-50 girl's basketball players in the State of Kentucky.
Home Sweet Home
The Racers finished the 2008-09 season with a 14-0 mark in the RSEC. The home winning streak dates back to Jan. 31, 2008 and currently stands at 19 games, the longest since Murray State moved to the RSEC. The home winning streak also ties the longest in team history - 19 games from Feb. 28, 1987 to Jan. 28, 1989 (Racer Arena). The last loss that the Racers suffered at home was Jan. 26, 2008. MSU will get its first chance to extend the streak, Nov. 18, against Mid-Continent.
The 19-game home winning streak puts Murray State 5th in the country for the longest current home winning streak. Defending NCAA Division I Champion, Connecticut is at the top of the NCAA Home Court Winning Streak list, with national powers Maryland and Stanford following.
The 14-0 record in the RSEC last year marked the first undefeated home season for the Racers in school history. The previous best record was two losses.
Up Next
MSU will remain on the road for one more game before defending their 19-game home winning streak in the RSEC. The Racers travel to Memphis, Tenn., to face Memphis, Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. The first home game for MSU is schedule for Wednesday, Nov. 18 at the RSEC at 7 p.m. against Mid-Continent.
Quick Plays
The Racers are 14-24 in season opening games since the 1971-72 season, including a 7-17 mark when opening the season on the road.
Scouting Alabama A&M
The game will also be the first game for the Bulldogs. AAMU finished the 2008-09 season with an 11-18 record that included a 9-9 mark in the Southeastern Athletic Conference.
The Bulldogs return two of their top players for the 2008-09 squad that traveled to Murray a year ago. Seniors Katrich Williams and Dominisha Johnson led AAMU last year in just about every statistical category. Williams was the leading scorer for the Bulldogs, with 13.8 points per game, making her the only member of the team to average double-digits for the season. Williams was the main offensive threat for AAMU last season, with a .336 (121-360) field-goal percentage, a .306 (49-160) three-point field-goal percentage and a .790 (109-138) free-throw percentage. She also led the team with 52 steals. Johnson was the key defensive player for the Bulldogs, with a team high 113 rebounds (4.2 per game). She was also a strong shooter, with a .481 (52-108) field-goal percentage, while averaging five points per game.
AAMU returns nine players from last year's squad and has added four new players.
Last Time Against the Bulldogs
The Racers and AAMU meet Dec. 17, 2008 at the RSEC. MSU earned a 90-69 victory and improved its record over the Bulldogs to 3-0. Katrich Williams and Dominisha Johnson led AAMU with 15 points each. Williams added three rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Johnson led the team with seven rebounds.
Of the returning Racers, Mallory Schwab and Rachael Isom led the way with four points each. Almost every returner saw action in the game and scored at least one point for MSU in the victory.
The Series
This will be the fourth meeting between MSU and AAMU, and just the second in Huntsville, Ala. The Racers have been victorious in the first three outings. The last time the teams meet in T.M. Elmore Gymnasium, the Racers escaped with a 61-59 victory, Jan. 15, 2007.
The Schedule
Like every season, the MSU women's basketball team will have a challenging schedule to start the 2009-10 campaign. This year the Racers will face teams from eight of the 31 conferences in the NCAA Division I ranks. MSU will play three teams from the Missouri Valley (Evansville, Missouri State, Southern Illinois), two from Conference USA (Memphis and Marshall), and one team from the Big 12, Colonial, Mid-Eastern, Sun Belt, Summit League, and Southwestern.
A few highlights of the season include regional rivals and match ups with nationally renowned programs. The Racers will host regional rival and 2009 MVC Tournament Champion Evansville, Nov. 21 in the RSEC. MSU will also renew a rivalry with 2007 MVC Champion Southern Illinois, when the team travels to Carbondale, Ill., Dec. 19. MSU will also face C-USA powers Memphis and Marshall that will certainly test the youthful team. The Racers will also get to battle with Big-12 member and nationally renowned Missouri in Columbia, Mo., Dec. 12, on a regionally televised game.
Youth is the Name of the Game
After a 2008-09 campaign stacked with seniors, youth will be the name of the game for the Racers in 2009-10. MSU returns just three seniors and has no juniors. The rest of the 2009-10 roster consists of four sophomores and eight freshmen. Of the returning seven, only one, Mallory Luckett, was a starter in the 2008-09 season.
With only one other player averaging 10 minutes per game, one might think the outlook is bleak for the 2009-10 edition of the Racers. Questions may abound, but the program has come to expect to compete for championships and is working hard to deserve victory.
Recognizing Recruits
Recruiting is always a challenge for coaches. Did you find the right number of players to add, are they what we need position-wise, are they going to fit into our system? The questions can be endless, but when your first recruiting class as a head coach gets recognized by three different recruiting groups some of those questions may leave your mind - at least for a while.
Soon after the class was announced the honors started to appear. When Blue Star Basketball came out with its list of the top recruiting classes in the nation for 2009, Murray State saw its name among a select group of teams. The Racers 2009-10 freshman class was ranked No. 54 and was one of only a hand full of non-BCS schools on the list.
The class was also recognized by All-Star Girls Report as the best recruiting class in the Ohio Valley Conference, placing 50 spots higher than any other team in the conference.
The final recognition for the group came for the three players coming to Murray from the state of Kentucky. Kayla Cunningham, Jessica Holder and Mariah Robinson were all ranked in the top-10 of BlueChipCamp.com's list of the top-50 girl's basketball players in the State of Kentucky.
Home Sweet Home
The Racers finished the 2008-09 season with a 14-0 mark in the RSEC. The home winning streak dates back to Jan. 31, 2008 and currently stands at 19 games, the longest since Murray State moved to the RSEC. The home winning streak also ties the longest in team history - 19 games from Feb. 28, 1987 to Jan. 28, 1989 (Racer Arena). The last loss that the Racers suffered at home was Jan. 26, 2008. MSU will get its first chance to extend the streak, Nov. 18, against Mid-Continent.
The 19-game home winning streak puts Murray State 5th in the country for the longest current home winning streak. Defending NCAA Division I Champion, Connecticut is at the top of the NCAA Home Court Winning Streak list, with national powers Maryland and Stanford following.
The 14-0 record in the RSEC last year marked the first undefeated home season for the Racers in school history. The previous best record was two losses.
Up Next
MSU will remain on the road for one more game before defending their 19-game home winning streak in the RSEC. The Racers travel to Memphis, Tenn., to face Memphis, Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. The first home game for MSU is schedule for Wednesday, Nov. 18 at the RSEC at 7 p.m. against Mid-Continent.
Quick Plays
The Racers are 14-24 in season opening games since the 1971-72 season, including a 7-17 mark when opening the season on the road.
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