Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Morehead State
Racers Fall to Morehead State, 51-58
12/5/2009 4:12:05 PM | Women's Basketball
The Racers' (4-4, 0-2 OVC) shooting woes continued against the Eagles (6-3, 2-0 OVC), as Murray State connected on just 29.7% of their 64 shots. Morehead State rebounded from a poor-shooting first half (29.6%) to score on 40% of their 30 shots in the second stanza. Most of the Eagles attempts came from beyond the arc, with the team making 5-of-10 treys in the final 20 minutes of play.
“Our defense has kept us in these last few games,” said head coach Rob Cross. “We had a few defensive breakdowns tonight, but when you are not shooting well you can't have those mental breakdowns. If we shot 45% from the field we could afford some of those breakdowns, but when you are shooting 30% you can't have those moments if you want to win.”
Senior Kayla Vance continued to perform strong for the Racers, recording a career-high 19 points in her first career start. Fellow senior Mallory Luckett added eight points and six rebounds.
“Kayla Vance started tonight because when she has been in games lately she has taken full advantage of her opportunities,” Cross said. “Part of is because she is a senior and she is wants to do whatever she needs to do to help the team.”
The Racers came out stronger than they did against Eastern Kentucky earning the first two points of the game with 18:56 left in the half. Murray State then held the Eagles scoreless for the next minute by forcing them into turnovers on their first two possessions, and three in their first five.
The first half was a defensive battle, with both teams trading scoring runs and forcing a total of 32 turnovers. Morehead was the first to go on a run. Murray State was held without a field goal for three minutes, while the Eagles scored six points to take a 9-4 lead. The Racers countered with a 12-3 run over the next five minutes to take a four-point advantage (16-12).
Morehead then went on a 7-0 run in a three-minute span to retake the lead, 19-16. However, it was Murray State who got the final run of the half, as they out-scored the Eagles 7-2, in the final six minutes of the half, to take a 23-21 lead into the locker room.
Morehead regrouped during the intermission and opened the second stanza with a 7-0 run to retake the lead (27-23). The Racers garnered the next four points, but the Eagles started an 8-0 run to increase their lead to 10 (37-27), with just over 12 minutes left to play. The teams then traded baskets for the rest of the game.
Murray State made a final push in the last minute of the game. Vance recorded the Racers final seven points in the last 46 seconds on five free throws and a layup, but the Eagles held on for the win.
Murray State now takes a week off for finals before hitting the road for a five-game road swing. The Racers start the trip at Missouri, Sunday, Dec. 13. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. Murray State will also stop to play Missouri State (Dec. 16), Southern Illinois (Dec. 19), IUPUI (Dec. 21), and Marshall (Dec. 28) before returning to the RSEC for a Jan. 4 game against UT Martin.
Notes: Senior Kayla Vance earned her first career start…it was the first time this season that the Racers started all three seniors (Mallory Luckett, Jasmyne Thornton and Vance)…it was the first time since Dec. 8 & 15, 2008 that Murray State has scored less than 30 points two-straight games…it is the first time since Nov. 20 & 23, 2004 that both the Racers and their opponents have tallied less than 30 points each in the first half for two games in-a-row…Murray State's 49 points is the least number of points scored by the Racers since their 49-87 loss to Ole Miss in the second round of the WNIT in 2009.
Head Coach Rob Cross
“I am not disappointed in the effort tonight; we just didn't shoot the ball well.”
“We have to have the sophomores play well for us right now because they have the experience.”
“I can't say enough about what Mallory Luckett is doing for us right now. But I can't continue to play her 39 minutes a game for the whole season. Unfortunately, I just don't feel like I can take her out right now.”
“Kayla Vance is starting to be aggressive offensively and playing like she wants to score. As long as she is playing with that kind of aggression she will continue to play. She has a scorer's mentality right now and that is what we need from the rest of the team.”
“We aren't shooting well right now and I think that part of that is a confidence issue. However, we are still letting the ball fly so we need to make sure we get more focused.”
“I believe that the team wants to be successful. With the young team we just need them to want to put in the time and effort to be successful.”
