Murray State University Athletics
Racers Headed to Battle with League-Leading Eastern Illinois
1/19/2010 9:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Murray State women's basketball team returns to the road for a match up with the top team in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, Eastern Illinois. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 21 at Lantz Arena.
Scouting Eastern Illinois
The Panthers are 10-8 overall and 6-1 in OVC action after earning wins over Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State over the weekend. The wins extended EIU's winning streak to a season-best five games, which started Jan. 2 over Jacksonville State.
The Panthers have three main threats in Ta'Kenya Nixon, Maggie Kloak and Dominique Sims. All three are averaging over 10 points per game and account for 47 percent of the teams shots attempted and 49 percent of those made. Nixon is the team's leader, with 13.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She is also the team's assists (73), steals (38) and shooting (50.6%) leader. Kloak is netting 12.1 points per game, while Sims adds 10.3. Sims and Ashley Thomas are the main threats from beyond the arc. Thomas has made 27-of-81 (33.3%) three pointers, while Sims has added 15-of-50 (30.0%).
As a team, EIU is leading the conference in field-goal percentage. The Panthers have made 41.8 percent of their shots in all games and that percentage has increased to 42.2 percent in league action. EIU is also hitting 30.4 percent of its three-point shots in all games, but that percentage has dropped to 26.8 when facing OVC opponents.
Another area on the stat sheet that has improved for EIU in conference play in rebounding. Against all opponents this season the Panthers are averaging 39.1 rebounds per game, while allowing 38.1 (+1.0). However that margin increased to a +9.1 against OVC teams (44.1-35.0).
EIU's games seem to be heavier on scoring in the second half for both the Panthers and their opponents. EIU has tallied 568 points in the opening stanza this season and propelled that number to 691 points in the second half. The Panther's opponents have also increased their output in the second half by nearly 100 points (529-626).
Both the Racers and EIU are among the conference leaders in scoring, free-throw shooting, and three-point defense. Both teams are tied for the No.1 spot in scoring, while they trade first and third spots in three-point defense and free-throw shooting. EIU holds the advantage in free-throw shooting (71.6%-69.7%), but MSU is at the top in three-point defense (26.9%-27.9%).
Against the Panthers
Last season the Racers were victorious in the two meetings with EIU. Senior Mallory Luckett was third-leading scorer for MSU in those outings, averaging 12.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore Kayla Lowe added four points and 2.5 boards, while sophomores Mallory Schwab and Rachael Isom added 2.5 and 1.0 points per game, respectively.
The top returner for the Panthers is Dominique Sims, with six points and 6.5 boards per game. Maggie Kloak added 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 57.1 % (4-of-7). Pilar walker contributed 4.0 points and 1.5 boards, while Chantelle Pressley added 3.5 points and 5.5 boards.
The Racers had a strong shooting series against EIU, hitting 41.8 of their shots, while the Panthers hit 37.5%. Both teams struggled from three-point range, with MSU holding a slight advantage (26.25-16.7%). The main difference on the stat sheet in the series was ball control. The Racers earned the advantage by turning over the ball just 13.5 times per game to the Panthers 17.0 turnovers. MSU also forced 9.0 steals to EIU's 5.0 per outing.
The Series
The Racers hold a 22-10 advantage in the all-time series, including a 17-10 mark in regular-season OVC action since EIU joined the league in the 1996-97 campaign. MSU is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings and has been victorious in the last two meetings in Charleston, Ill. The Panthers have an even advantage when playing at home, with the series in Lantz Arena tied at 7-7.
Double Player of the Week Honors
For the first time in the 2009-10 campaign the Racers had two players earn OVC player of the week honors when senior Mallory Luckett was named Player of the Week and Mariah Robinson was named Freshman of the Week for Jan. 18.
Luckett earned the honor after recording the second triple-double in school history with 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds against Jacksonville State. The Louisville, Ky., native followed that performance with a double-double versus Tennessee Tech with 10 points and 10 rebounds. She was just three assists shy of a second triple-double against the Golden Eagles. Her 11 assists versus JSU tied for the No. 7 spot on the Racer's assists list.
Robinson averaged 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds over the two games last week. The Beaver Dam, Ky., native recorded her second game with a double-digit point total against Tennessee Tech, with a career-high 22 points. She went 10-for-13 from the charity stripe against the Golden Eagles. She added a career-best 11 rebounds against Jacksonville State.
TRIPLE-DOUBLE!!!!
Senior Mallory Luckett accomplished a feat that only one other Racer player had done in school history when she recorded a triple-double in the Racers, 78-49, victory over Jacksonville State. The Louisville, Ky., native tallied 14 points, a career-high 11 assists and 10 rebounds to join Karen Johnson as the only MSU women's players to garner a triple-double. Johnson earned the Racers' first during the 1987-88 campaign.
Luckett is one of 15 players in NCAA DI women's basketball to record a triple-double this season and is the second from the OVC, as Tacarra Hayes from TTU did so earlier this season. Her 11 assists ranked her No. 7 on the MSU all-time assists in a game list and marks the first time since the 2001-02 season that a Racer has tallied double-digit assists in a single game.
Luckett followed her triple-double with her fourth double-double against Tennessee Tech (10 points, 10 rebounds). She tallied seven assists against the Golden Eagles.
Double-Digit Isom
Sophomore Rachael Isom been stepping up for MSU the last three games, with 20 points against Austin Peay, 22 points against JSU and a career-best 26 against TTU. The Cleveland, Tenn., native has tallied double-digit point totals for the Racers in 10 games this season and has been the team's leading scorer in six games.
Scoring Go-Round
After having three players from the 2008-09 season dominate the scoring all season, the 2009-10 edition of the Racers has been harder to determine who will fill in that role. MSU has had six different members of the roster lead the team in scoring this season. Senior Kayla Vance is leading the way with seven games in the top-scoring position, while sophomore Rachael Isom has done so six times and senior Mallory Luckett three times. Sophomore Mallory Schwab has been the leading scorer twice, with freshman Mariah Robinson and sophomore Kristen Kluempers each leading the team once.
Three Point Streak
The Racers currently have the No. 10 active three-point scoring streak in NCAA DI women's basketball, at 307 games. The streak dates back to Nov. 27, 1999 against Belmont. Canisus College is leading the list, with an NCAA-record 471-straight games scoring at least one shot from beyond the arc. Southeast Missouri State is the only other team from the conference in the top-10, at No. 7 (360).
National Recognition
Murray State might not have the best overall record, but the team is currently ranked in the top-100 of five national statistical categories and has three players ranked in the top-100 in five individual categories as of Jan. 17.
The Racers top ranking is in three point field-goal defense, at No. 21 (26.9). The Racers are also No. 39 in three-point field goals made (6.9), No. 67 in scoring offense (69.9), No. 68 in turnover margin (2.39) and No. 87 in turnovers (87).
Mallory Luckett leads the team with three individual top-100 rankings. The Louisville, Ky., native is in the No. 31 spot for assists (5.4) and No. 33 in assist/turnover ratio (1.79). Freshman Jessica Holder is ranked 100th in blocked shots (1.4) and senior Kayla Vance recently earned a No. 91 ranking for her 81.5 free-throw percentage.
Up Next
The Racers will continue their road swing with a stop in Cape Girardeau, Mo., to face Southeast Missouri State Saturday, Jan. 23 at the Show Me Center. The road trip will end at UT Martin, Saturday, Jan. 30.
Noteables
MSU attempted a school-record 50 free throws against TTU and made 37...the 37 made was the second-most in school history, just one shy of the record (38)... Mallory Luckett is currently No. 8 on the OVC's Active Assists list (178)... Jessica Holder is also ranked 8th on the OVC's Active Blocks list (26).
Scouting Eastern Illinois
The Panthers are 10-8 overall and 6-1 in OVC action after earning wins over Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State over the weekend. The wins extended EIU's winning streak to a season-best five games, which started Jan. 2 over Jacksonville State.
The Panthers have three main threats in Ta'Kenya Nixon, Maggie Kloak and Dominique Sims. All three are averaging over 10 points per game and account for 47 percent of the teams shots attempted and 49 percent of those made. Nixon is the team's leader, with 13.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She is also the team's assists (73), steals (38) and shooting (50.6%) leader. Kloak is netting 12.1 points per game, while Sims adds 10.3. Sims and Ashley Thomas are the main threats from beyond the arc. Thomas has made 27-of-81 (33.3%) three pointers, while Sims has added 15-of-50 (30.0%).
As a team, EIU is leading the conference in field-goal percentage. The Panthers have made 41.8 percent of their shots in all games and that percentage has increased to 42.2 percent in league action. EIU is also hitting 30.4 percent of its three-point shots in all games, but that percentage has dropped to 26.8 when facing OVC opponents.
Another area on the stat sheet that has improved for EIU in conference play in rebounding. Against all opponents this season the Panthers are averaging 39.1 rebounds per game, while allowing 38.1 (+1.0). However that margin increased to a +9.1 against OVC teams (44.1-35.0).
EIU's games seem to be heavier on scoring in the second half for both the Panthers and their opponents. EIU has tallied 568 points in the opening stanza this season and propelled that number to 691 points in the second half. The Panther's opponents have also increased their output in the second half by nearly 100 points (529-626).
Both the Racers and EIU are among the conference leaders in scoring, free-throw shooting, and three-point defense. Both teams are tied for the No.1 spot in scoring, while they trade first and third spots in three-point defense and free-throw shooting. EIU holds the advantage in free-throw shooting (71.6%-69.7%), but MSU is at the top in three-point defense (26.9%-27.9%).
Against the Panthers
Last season the Racers were victorious in the two meetings with EIU. Senior Mallory Luckett was third-leading scorer for MSU in those outings, averaging 12.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore Kayla Lowe added four points and 2.5 boards, while sophomores Mallory Schwab and Rachael Isom added 2.5 and 1.0 points per game, respectively.
The top returner for the Panthers is Dominique Sims, with six points and 6.5 boards per game. Maggie Kloak added 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 57.1 % (4-of-7). Pilar walker contributed 4.0 points and 1.5 boards, while Chantelle Pressley added 3.5 points and 5.5 boards.
The Racers had a strong shooting series against EIU, hitting 41.8 of their shots, while the Panthers hit 37.5%. Both teams struggled from three-point range, with MSU holding a slight advantage (26.25-16.7%). The main difference on the stat sheet in the series was ball control. The Racers earned the advantage by turning over the ball just 13.5 times per game to the Panthers 17.0 turnovers. MSU also forced 9.0 steals to EIU's 5.0 per outing.
The Series
The Racers hold a 22-10 advantage in the all-time series, including a 17-10 mark in regular-season OVC action since EIU joined the league in the 1996-97 campaign. MSU is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings and has been victorious in the last two meetings in Charleston, Ill. The Panthers have an even advantage when playing at home, with the series in Lantz Arena tied at 7-7.
Double Player of the Week Honors
For the first time in the 2009-10 campaign the Racers had two players earn OVC player of the week honors when senior Mallory Luckett was named Player of the Week and Mariah Robinson was named Freshman of the Week for Jan. 18.
Luckett earned the honor after recording the second triple-double in school history with 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds against Jacksonville State. The Louisville, Ky., native followed that performance with a double-double versus Tennessee Tech with 10 points and 10 rebounds. She was just three assists shy of a second triple-double against the Golden Eagles. Her 11 assists versus JSU tied for the No. 7 spot on the Racer's assists list.
Robinson averaged 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds over the two games last week. The Beaver Dam, Ky., native recorded her second game with a double-digit point total against Tennessee Tech, with a career-high 22 points. She went 10-for-13 from the charity stripe against the Golden Eagles. She added a career-best 11 rebounds against Jacksonville State.
TRIPLE-DOUBLE!!!!
Senior Mallory Luckett accomplished a feat that only one other Racer player had done in school history when she recorded a triple-double in the Racers, 78-49, victory over Jacksonville State. The Louisville, Ky., native tallied 14 points, a career-high 11 assists and 10 rebounds to join Karen Johnson as the only MSU women's players to garner a triple-double. Johnson earned the Racers' first during the 1987-88 campaign.
Luckett is one of 15 players in NCAA DI women's basketball to record a triple-double this season and is the second from the OVC, as Tacarra Hayes from TTU did so earlier this season. Her 11 assists ranked her No. 7 on the MSU all-time assists in a game list and marks the first time since the 2001-02 season that a Racer has tallied double-digit assists in a single game.
Luckett followed her triple-double with her fourth double-double against Tennessee Tech (10 points, 10 rebounds). She tallied seven assists against the Golden Eagles.
Double-Digit Isom
Sophomore Rachael Isom been stepping up for MSU the last three games, with 20 points against Austin Peay, 22 points against JSU and a career-best 26 against TTU. The Cleveland, Tenn., native has tallied double-digit point totals for the Racers in 10 games this season and has been the team's leading scorer in six games.
Scoring Go-Round
After having three players from the 2008-09 season dominate the scoring all season, the 2009-10 edition of the Racers has been harder to determine who will fill in that role. MSU has had six different members of the roster lead the team in scoring this season. Senior Kayla Vance is leading the way with seven games in the top-scoring position, while sophomore Rachael Isom has done so six times and senior Mallory Luckett three times. Sophomore Mallory Schwab has been the leading scorer twice, with freshman Mariah Robinson and sophomore Kristen Kluempers each leading the team once.
Three Point Streak
The Racers currently have the No. 10 active three-point scoring streak in NCAA DI women's basketball, at 307 games. The streak dates back to Nov. 27, 1999 against Belmont. Canisus College is leading the list, with an NCAA-record 471-straight games scoring at least one shot from beyond the arc. Southeast Missouri State is the only other team from the conference in the top-10, at No. 7 (360).
National Recognition
Murray State might not have the best overall record, but the team is currently ranked in the top-100 of five national statistical categories and has three players ranked in the top-100 in five individual categories as of Jan. 17.
The Racers top ranking is in three point field-goal defense, at No. 21 (26.9). The Racers are also No. 39 in three-point field goals made (6.9), No. 67 in scoring offense (69.9), No. 68 in turnover margin (2.39) and No. 87 in turnovers (87).
Mallory Luckett leads the team with three individual top-100 rankings. The Louisville, Ky., native is in the No. 31 spot for assists (5.4) and No. 33 in assist/turnover ratio (1.79). Freshman Jessica Holder is ranked 100th in blocked shots (1.4) and senior Kayla Vance recently earned a No. 91 ranking for her 81.5 free-throw percentage.
Up Next
The Racers will continue their road swing with a stop in Cape Girardeau, Mo., to face Southeast Missouri State Saturday, Jan. 23 at the Show Me Center. The road trip will end at UT Martin, Saturday, Jan. 30.
Noteables
MSU attempted a school-record 50 free throws against TTU and made 37...the 37 made was the second-most in school history, just one shy of the record (38)... Mallory Luckett is currently No. 8 on the OVC's Active Assists list (178)... Jessica Holder is also ranked 8th on the OVC's Active Blocks list (26).
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