Murray State University Athletics
Racers Open OVC Slate Against Eastern Kentucky
12/1/2009 4:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The start of the Ohio Valley Conference portion of the 2009-10 season awaits the Murray State women's basketball team, as they prepare to host Eastern Kentucky, Thursday, Dec. 3 at 8:30 p.m. in the Regional Special Events Center. The game marks the fifth-straight season that the Racers (4-2) and the Colonels have opened the league schedule against each other, with MSU holding a 3-1 advantage during the span after winning the last three games.
Scouting Eastern Kentucky
The Colonels enter Thursday's game on a two-game winning streak and are 2-3 in 2009-10. EKU earned two close victories at the Lady Pirate Invitational in Greenville, N.C., against Towson (54-50) and Bethune-Cookman (66-65).
The Colonels are currently being led by Alex Jones and Talisha Davis, who earned OVC Freshman and Newcomer of the Week honors Monday, Nov. 30. Jones is averaging 11 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 52.5 percent (21-40) from the field, and adding 11 steals, six assists and four blocks. Davis is also averaging double-digits for EKU, with 10.4 points per game. She has also contributed 12 assists and 10 steals, but has committed 29 turnovers. Colette Cole is also a key scorer for the Colonels, with nine points per game and a 47.1 shooting percentage (16-34).
As a team EKU is hitting 39 percent (90-of-231) of its shots from the field and 27.9 (17-of-61) from beyond the three point line. Their opponents are close behind the Colonels in overall shooting percentage (38.7), but have been fairing better from beyond the arc (32.1 percent).
Ball control will be a key for the Racers. EKU is turning over the ball 26.6 times per game, with its opponents earning 13.2 steals per game. However the Colonels opponents are averaging 17 turnovers per game, with EKU only being awarded 9.4 steals per outing.
MSU will have to be on the look out for a second-half surge by EKU, as they Colonels have added 24 more points to the scoreboard in the second 20 minutes of action. The Racers opponents have the same trend, as the team has allowed 39 more points in the second stanza so far this season.
Against the Colonels
The Racers earned victories in both meetings with EKU last season. Of the returners for MSU, senior Mallory Luckett led the way with 16 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Luckett had one of her best games of the season in the first meeting, netting 11 points against the Colonels. Sophomore Mallory Schwab added seven points and five rebounds.
Nadia Mossong and Cheri White were key contributors for EKU a year ago. Mossong garnered 23 points and 12 rebounds, with 21 of her points coming in the first meeting of the season. White added 19 points and six rebounds, with 10 points coming in the second game of the year.
The Series
The Colonels have a 49-27 advantage in the all-time series, including a 14-24 mark in Murray. However, the Racers have been turning the series around in the last four years, earning victories in seven of the last eight match ups. MSU has been the victor in the last two games and has not lost to EKU in the RSEC since Dec. 8, 2005.
Home Sweet Home
The Racers finished the 2008-09 season with a 14-0 mark in the RSEC and extended that streak with their first home game of the 2009-10 season. The home winning streak dates back to Jan. 31, 2008 and currently stands at 21 games, the longest is school history. The last loss that the Racers suffered at home was Jan. 26, 2008.
The 21-game home winning streak puts Murray State tied for fourth 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.
Record Setting Performance
The Racers had a record setting game against Mid Continent, Nov. 18. Besides earning the win that moved their home-court winning streak to a school-record 20 games, the team also set a new record for steals in a game. MSU combined for 26 steals, one better than the previous record set against Arkansas State, Feb. 2, 1984.
The team also combined to tally 14 trey's, good for the No. 4 spot on the MSU charts. The team's eight blocks were also the most since Jan. 22, 2005 and the eighth most in a single game.
Having a Good Start
Every team wants to start out the season on a winning streak, and the Racers did just that. MSU was victorious in its first four games of the 2009-10 campaign. It was the best start to a season since the 1988-89 campaign when the Racers started out by winning their first eight contests, which is the school record for wins to start the year. The four-straight wins is the third-best start to a season in Racer history.
Adding Height For 2010-11
The Racers signed two student-athletes during the early signing period to the 2010-11 roster. Chanyere Hosey, a 6-3 forward from Bolingbrook, Ill., and Mary Jehlik, a 6-0, forward/center from Mount Sterling, Ky. (Mongomery County).
Hosey is already familiar with Murray State athletics, as her sister is a senior on the Racers Track and Field team and her cousin Candace Nevels is a freshman on this year's women's basketball squad. Hosey was forced to sit on the sidelines due to injury during the 2008-09 season when the Raiders claimed the 4A Illinois State title. Hosey has also been a standout on the Bolingbrook track and field and cross country teams as a prep.
Jehlik is no stranger to participating in the state tournament, as she has been on the varsity roster at Montgomery High School for the past four seasons. The Indians have advanced to the Kentucky State High School Athletic Association Elite Eight for the past four seasons, earning 40th District and 10th Regional championships along the way. Jehlik has earned All-10th Region honors for the past two seasons and was named the 10th Region MVP by LaGrange Insurance in 2007-08.
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.
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. MSU will 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.
Up Next
The Racers will play one more game in the RSEC in 2009 before hitting the road for a five-game road swing. MSU hosts preseason OVC favorite, Morehead State, Saturday, Dec. 5 at 5:15 pm. The Racers will then take a week off for finals before starting their road swing at Missouri, Dec. 13.
Quick Plays
Seniors Kayla Vance and Jasmyne Thornton tallied season highs with nine points each against Morgan State...all nine of Vance's points came in a row for MSU and helped spark a 15-6 run late in the game to cut the deficit to three points...Vance also added career bests of four rebounds and three assists against the Bears...senior Mallory Luckett tallied her second career double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds against Morgan State...she was also two assists away from the rare triple-double...Luckett was named to the GSU All-Tournament Team for her efforts over the weekend....Luckett is currently eighth on the OVC's active assists lists...freshman Jessica Holder is only six blocks away from the active blocks list in the OVC, with 12.
Scouting Eastern Kentucky
The Colonels enter Thursday's game on a two-game winning streak and are 2-3 in 2009-10. EKU earned two close victories at the Lady Pirate Invitational in Greenville, N.C., against Towson (54-50) and Bethune-Cookman (66-65).
The Colonels are currently being led by Alex Jones and Talisha Davis, who earned OVC Freshman and Newcomer of the Week honors Monday, Nov. 30. Jones is averaging 11 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 52.5 percent (21-40) from the field, and adding 11 steals, six assists and four blocks. Davis is also averaging double-digits for EKU, with 10.4 points per game. She has also contributed 12 assists and 10 steals, but has committed 29 turnovers. Colette Cole is also a key scorer for the Colonels, with nine points per game and a 47.1 shooting percentage (16-34).
As a team EKU is hitting 39 percent (90-of-231) of its shots from the field and 27.9 (17-of-61) from beyond the three point line. Their opponents are close behind the Colonels in overall shooting percentage (38.7), but have been fairing better from beyond the arc (32.1 percent).
Ball control will be a key for the Racers. EKU is turning over the ball 26.6 times per game, with its opponents earning 13.2 steals per game. However the Colonels opponents are averaging 17 turnovers per game, with EKU only being awarded 9.4 steals per outing.
MSU will have to be on the look out for a second-half surge by EKU, as they Colonels have added 24 more points to the scoreboard in the second 20 minutes of action. The Racers opponents have the same trend, as the team has allowed 39 more points in the second stanza so far this season.
Against the Colonels
The Racers earned victories in both meetings with EKU last season. Of the returners for MSU, senior Mallory Luckett led the way with 16 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Luckett had one of her best games of the season in the first meeting, netting 11 points against the Colonels. Sophomore Mallory Schwab added seven points and five rebounds.
Nadia Mossong and Cheri White were key contributors for EKU a year ago. Mossong garnered 23 points and 12 rebounds, with 21 of her points coming in the first meeting of the season. White added 19 points and six rebounds, with 10 points coming in the second game of the year.
The Series
The Colonels have a 49-27 advantage in the all-time series, including a 14-24 mark in Murray. However, the Racers have been turning the series around in the last four years, earning victories in seven of the last eight match ups. MSU has been the victor in the last two games and has not lost to EKU in the RSEC since Dec. 8, 2005.
Home Sweet Home
The Racers finished the 2008-09 season with a 14-0 mark in the RSEC and extended that streak with their first home game of the 2009-10 season. The home winning streak dates back to Jan. 31, 2008 and currently stands at 21 games, the longest is school history. The last loss that the Racers suffered at home was Jan. 26, 2008.
The 21-game home winning streak puts Murray State tied for fourth 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.
Record Setting Performance
The Racers had a record setting game against Mid Continent, Nov. 18. Besides earning the win that moved their home-court winning streak to a school-record 20 games, the team also set a new record for steals in a game. MSU combined for 26 steals, one better than the previous record set against Arkansas State, Feb. 2, 1984.
The team also combined to tally 14 trey's, good for the No. 4 spot on the MSU charts. The team's eight blocks were also the most since Jan. 22, 2005 and the eighth most in a single game.
Having a Good Start
Every team wants to start out the season on a winning streak, and the Racers did just that. MSU was victorious in its first four games of the 2009-10 campaign. It was the best start to a season since the 1988-89 campaign when the Racers started out by winning their first eight contests, which is the school record for wins to start the year. The four-straight wins is the third-best start to a season in Racer history.
Adding Height For 2010-11
The Racers signed two student-athletes during the early signing period to the 2010-11 roster. Chanyere Hosey, a 6-3 forward from Bolingbrook, Ill., and Mary Jehlik, a 6-0, forward/center from Mount Sterling, Ky. (Mongomery County).
Hosey is already familiar with Murray State athletics, as her sister is a senior on the Racers Track and Field team and her cousin Candace Nevels is a freshman on this year's women's basketball squad. Hosey was forced to sit on the sidelines due to injury during the 2008-09 season when the Raiders claimed the 4A Illinois State title. Hosey has also been a standout on the Bolingbrook track and field and cross country teams as a prep.
Jehlik is no stranger to participating in the state tournament, as she has been on the varsity roster at Montgomery High School for the past four seasons. The Indians have advanced to the Kentucky State High School Athletic Association Elite Eight for the past four seasons, earning 40th District and 10th Regional championships along the way. Jehlik has earned All-10th Region honors for the past two seasons and was named the 10th Region MVP by LaGrange Insurance in 2007-08.
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.
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. MSU will 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.
Up Next
The Racers will play one more game in the RSEC in 2009 before hitting the road for a five-game road swing. MSU hosts preseason OVC favorite, Morehead State, Saturday, Dec. 5 at 5:15 pm. The Racers will then take a week off for finals before starting their road swing at Missouri, Dec. 13.
Quick Plays
Seniors Kayla Vance and Jasmyne Thornton tallied season highs with nine points each against Morgan State...all nine of Vance's points came in a row for MSU and helped spark a 15-6 run late in the game to cut the deficit to three points...Vance also added career bests of four rebounds and three assists against the Bears...senior Mallory Luckett tallied her second career double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds against Morgan State...she was also two assists away from the rare triple-double...Luckett was named to the GSU All-Tournament Team for her efforts over the weekend....Luckett is currently eighth on the OVC's active assists lists...freshman Jessica Holder is only six blocks away from the active blocks list in the OVC, with 12.
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