Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Missouri State
Racers Fall Just Short at Missouri State with a 70-76 Loss
12/16/2009 4:08:06 PM | Women's Basketball
The Racers (4-6, 0-2 Ohio Valley Conference) had a trio of players garner double-digit point totals, with senior Kayla Vance leading the team with 18. Fellow senior Mallory Luckett added 13 and sophomore Mallory Schwab netted 10. Senior Jasmyne Thornton added a career-best six rebounds.
“For a couple of walk-ons, Kayla Vance and Mallory Luckett do an outstanding job for us,” said head coach Rob Cross. “We are proud of the way that they play, because they give us everything they have every night.”
The Lady Bears (6-3) got on the board first, but the Racers countered quickly and the team traded the first four baskets before Missouri State started a 7-0 run over one-and-a-half minutes to earn the first large lead of the game, 11-4.
The Lady Bears built their lead out to as many as 11 points in the first half, but Murray State kept going on short runs to cut the deficit back to six or four points. The Racers final run of the half started with just under six minute remaining and ended with just over three minutes left on the clock. Murray State scored six unanswered points to cut the Lady Bears' lead to four (29-25). The teams then traded baskets for the next two minutes. A late 4-2 run by Missouri State in the final minute of the half gave the Lady Bears a 41-34 lead heading into the locker room.
The Racers were the first to score in the second half, but Missouri State countered with a 5-0 run to build the lead back out to double digits. Murray State did not give up and countered with a 9-2 run of their own to cut the lead to three (48-45) with just under 12 minutes left in the second half. Both teams then traded baskets for the next two minutes, but the Racers got two three pointers from Vance to help cut the deficit to as little as two points.
Murray State continued to push the tempo and went on a 6-0 run to take a short 57-56 lead with 8:30 left to play. The Lady Bears' Jaleshia Roberson then hit a triple to give Missouri State back the lead and start them on a 4-0 run over the next 30 seconds before both teams picked up the defense for the next 1:30 and held each other scoreless.
The Lady Bears were the first team to break the drought and scored four unanswered points before the Racers broke their scoreless streak. Missouri State built its lead back up nine with 3:30 left to play. Luckett then hit six-straight points for Murray State to help drop the lead to five points with two minutes left in the second stanza.
The Lady Bears then added to their lead with a jumper and two free throws from Casey Garrison in the final 1:30 of the game and Missouri State earned the 76-70 win.
Points in the paint seemed to be the key to the game, with the Lady Bears tallying 40 to the Racers' 16 on the night. Murray State did have a better shooting outing, hitting 40.3 percent of its shots from the field (27-of-67); including a 41.4 percent mark in the second half. Missouri State also had a strong shooting night, hitting 52.8 percent in the first half and ending the game with a 47.7 percent (31-of-65) mark.
The Racers continue their holiday road trip with a stop in Carbondale, Ill., to face Southern Illinois, Saturday, Dec. 19 at 8:05 p.m. and will then travel to Indianapolis to play IUPUI, Monday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. before getting a few days off of the holidays.
Notes: Murray State had three players in double figures in the scoring column for the first time since Nov. 27, 2009 against Georgia State…freshman Tessa Elkins tallied a career-high nine points and two assists…sophomore Kristen Kluempers tallied a career-best three blocks.
Head Coach Rob Cross
“This is one of the toughest places to play in the country for women's basketball. I'm proud of the way the team came out and battled all night.”
“We have been doing a great job slowing teams down in the paint, but tonight it just wasn't meant to be.”
“We still didn't shot the ball great tonight, but we did shoot better and with more confidence."
