Racers Roll Past Redhawks, 90-72 at Show Me Center

Saturday, January 23

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

5:30 p.m.

Murray State

Southeast Missouri State

1/24/2010 2:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

The Murray State women's basketball team rebounded from a loss at league-leading Eastern Illinois Thursday by defeating Southeast Missouri State, 90-72, Saturday at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The victory moved the Racers (9-11, 4-5 OVC) into a tie for fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference standings after the first half of league competition.

MSU had five players record double-digit point totals, with seniors Mallory Luckett and Kayla Vance and freshman Mariah Robinson all tallying a team-high 14 points. Sophomore Rachael Isom added 12 points and freshman Jessica Holder contributed a career-best 11. Isom and Luckett also combined for 14 assists, seven each.

The Racers opened the game on a mission and tallied 15 points before the Redhawks (6-12, 3-6 OVC) got on the board with a free throw with 15:24 left to play. MSU continued the defensive pressure and didn't allow SEMO to garner a field-goal until five minutes has elapsed off the clock; adding two more point to its total during the span.

The Racers kept both their defensive pressure and scoring touch up through the half and did not allow the Redhawks to score double-digits until 11:17 remained in the half. SEMO was held scoreless for long stretches of the half, but did go on a 6-0 run in a minute span to cut the lead to nine (24-15). However, MSU responded with a 13-1 run over the next four minutes to push the lead to as many as 22 in the opening stanza.

The second half was an even battle for most of the 20-minute span. However, the advantage that the Racers had built was too much for the Redhawks to overcome, as they got no closer than a 13-point deficit through the rest of the game.

MSU had an impressive shooting night, ending the game making half of its attempts (30-of-60) and 41.9 percent (13-of-31) of those shots taken from beyond the arc. SEMO shot 34.8 percent on the night (24-of-69), and 36.8 percent (7-of-19) from three-point range.

The Racers will now have a week off before traveling to fact UT Martin, Saturday, Jan. 30 at 4 p.m. at the Elam Center.

Notes: This was the first game that MSU had five double-digit scorers since Dec. 21, 2009…the Racers finished the game with 13 triples, one shy of the school record set earlier this season twice (14)…Isom's seven assists was four more than her previous career-high.

Quotes
Head Coach Rob Cross
“The team was really excited to get the taste of Thursday night's loss out of their mouths. Thursday night we played an intense basketball game we just didn't make the hustle plays that it took to win the ball game. They came out tonight and did an outstanding job tonight.”