Racers Set to Host Tennessee Tech at CFSB Center

Murray State (4-11, 1-3 OVC) vs. Tennessee Tech (6-11, 2-2 OVC)
Saturday - 7:30 p.m.
CFSB Center
Murray, Ky.

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The Game
The Murray State women's basketball team will have a rare double-header with the men's team, Saturday, Jan. 14 and will play after the conclusion of the men's game due to ESPNU broadcasting the men's game. The Racers are set to face Tennessee Tech at 7:30 p.m. at the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.

Scouting Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles are 6-11 overall and 2-2 in Ohio Valley Conference action after winning their last two outings against Morehead State and Tennessee State at home. TTU is currently 2-7 overall and 0-2 in OVC play this season when playing on the road.

The Golden Eagles have two main shooters in Tacarra Hayes and Jala Harris. Hayes is averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, is shooting .414 from the field and adds 62 assists and 24 steals in her 17 games played. Harris, who missed the first 10 games of the season, is now averaging 16.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and is shooting .431 from the field and .344 from beyond the arc in seven games. She has also contributed 13 assists and 12 steals. Brittany Darling is the team's leading rebounder with 6.5 boards per game and adds 8.4 points per game, 22 blocks and is hitting 51 percent of her shots.

TTU, who was picked to finish first in the 2011-12 OVC Preseason Poll, returned their entire starting line-up from 2010-11. The Golden Eagles are close in most statistical categories to their opponents, with the biggest difference in points and overall shooting percentage. TTU is averaging 4.1 fewer points than the opposition and scoring at a .380 clip to a .416 mark.

The Series
The series with the Golden Eagles is the most lop-sided among the Racers and OVC teams, with TTU holding a 57-13 advantage. The series is closer when played in Murray, but the Golden Eagles still hold a 23-10 lead. TTU has won the last three games, after the Racers won six consecutive games from Feb. 22, 2007 to Jan. 16, 2010.

Elkins Impressing in OVC Action
Junior Tessa Elkins has made her presence know more on the court since the start of OVC play. Before the start of the conference season the Cincinnati, Ohio, native was averaging 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game while shooting .328 from the field. In the first four games of the OVC season the guard is now netting 10.0 points, 5.8 boards, 2.8 assists and 2.8 steals per outing and shooting .400 from the field. She has also set a career best of 17 points at SEMO and season bests of nine rebounds (at APSU) and four assists (at EIU and APSU).

Shaking Up the Line-Up
The Racers have now used eight different starting line-ups this season, the third most for a Division I team this season. MSU has also started nine of their 12 players on the team, with only Erica Burgess earning a starting role in all 15 games this season.

Five-Time OVC Player of the Week
For the third-straight week and the fifth time this season, red-shirt sophomore Erica Burgess was named the adidas Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, for Jan. 4.

The Memphis, Tenn., native recorded career-highs of 23 points and eight made free throws in the win over Southeast Missouri (Dec. 31). She finished the week going a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity strip. She averaged 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists over the two games.

Record OVC Opening Night
Several members of the Racers had record setting nights in the 2011-12 OVC opener against Southeast Missouri. Junior Tessa Elkins and red-shirt sophomore Erica Burgess both recorded career highs in the point's column, with 17 and 23 respectively. Burgess also went 8-of-8 from the charity stripe for a career night. Senior Kayla Lowe got in the action with a career-best four assists. However, the career night was key for freshman Beth Mahurin. The Rockville, Ind., native hit career bests of six points, eight rebounds and three field goals. She recorded all of her career highs before the end of the first half and added to them during the second.

Making Move Up or On Top-10 Lists
Three members of the team are currently on or close to making their mark on three top-10 lists at MSU. Junior Mariah Robinson is currently ranked No. 3 on the three's made chart, with 135. She is just eight from No. 2 (143-Ashley B. Hayes). Senior Kayla Lowe also joined Robinson on the list, with her 105 career triples, for the No. 10 spot. She is six from No. 9 (111-Jennifer Parker).

Fellow senior Mallory Schwab is also making an effort to get on a top-10 list, blocks. The Martinsville, Ind., native has 44 blocks to her name and the chart start at 46 (four players).

1,000 Point Club Membership
Junior Mariah Robinson is cruising along to a membership in the 1,000 Point Club at Murray State. The Beaver Dam, Ky., native is looking to become the 18th member of the club and would be the ninth Racer to do so during her junior campaign. Robinson currently has 883 points, just 117 away from the milestone and is averaging 14.6 points per game this season.

Taking Charge of Monday Night
After spending most of the first half of the season on the road the Racers are finally returning home and Monday nights are a big part of the action. Each Monday night for six weeks (Jan. 9-Feb. 13) MSU's women's basketball team will be hosting a game at the CFSB Center.

When the OVC schedule changed to have Saturday-Monday games for the women's teams in the conference the league implemented “Taking Charge of Monday Night” where each team is featured on OVCSports.com and the game they are playing will be featured free on OVCSports.TV. The Feb. 16 game against UTM is the Racers featured night.

Three Point Season
The Racers have made 115 triples this season, 49.6 percent of the school record for the most three's in a season (232). MSU has a season-high of 15 made in a single game (vs. Mid-Con) and has recorded the same or more triples than its opponents in every game this season. Of the 12 active players on the team, only two have not attempted a shot from beyond the arc and 7-of-10 have made at least one.

Going for No. 500/50
The Racers are currently 493-640-2 in their 47th season of basketball. With seven more wins the team will record its 500 victory. The 500th win for MSU would make the Racers the sixth team in the conference to record over 500 wins. MSU would join Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, SIU Edwardsville and Tennessee Tech in the club. With one more wins head coach Rob Cross will also reach his 50th career win.

High Pressure Defense
The new high-pressure defense that the Racers are playing this season has forced three of their opponents into 30+ turnovers and six more into 20+ turnovers. This is the first time since at least 1996-97, when individual game stats are available, that the team has forced more than one opponent into 30+ turnovers. The most forced during that span was 39 (Nov. 18, 2009) by Mid-Continent. So far this season MSU has forced Mid-Con into 33, Ball State into 32 and Evansville into 31. Overall the Racers have forced 307 turnovers and have committed just 242.

Jessica's Missing for the Season
Both of the Racers players named Jessica, Jessica Winfrey and Jessica Holder, will miss the 2011-12 campaign due to injury. Winfrey was a key starter for the Racers last year, while Holder was sidelined for most of the 2010-11 campaign due to injury as well.

Up Next
The Racers home stand will conclude with a game against Jacksonville State (Jan. 16 - 7 p.m.). MSU will then trade home and road games for the next three weeks before a final home stand of four games (Feb. 6-16).

Murray State University Athletics

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