Women’s Basketball Opens OVC Play on New Year’s Eve vs. EKU

Monday, December 31

CFSB Center

1 p.m.

Murray State

Eastern Kentucky

Photo by: Tab Brockman

Women’s Basketball Opens OVC Play on New Year’s Eve vs. EKU

12/30/2012 3:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Game Notes | Live Audio | Live Video | Live Stats

TV: None
Radio: 1340 WNBS
Web Streaming: OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
Series: EKU 52-29
At Murray: EKU 26-15
At EKU: EKU 24-13
Neutral: EKU 1-2

The Murray State women's basketball team will officially kick-off its 2012-13 league campaign on Monday night against Eastern Kentucky at 1 p.m. at the CFSB Center.

The Racers are coming off a trip to Missouri in which they fought every step of the way, but in the end the Tigers proved to be too much and put an end to MSU's seven game win-streak with a 69-55 victory at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia. The Racers matched the Tigers blow-for-blow in the first half, never allowing Mizzou to take more than a five point lead in the half. In fact, the Racers enjoyed the largest lead of the frame whey they took a six-point advantage with 10:06 remaining in the first. However, from that point on the Tigers went on a 13-6 run to end the frame and take a 29-28 lead into the locker room at the half.

Out of the break, Mizzou came out hot and went on a 7-0 run to push the lead to 36-28. As in the first half, the Racers would not go quietly and answered with their own 8-0 run to tie the game at 36. With the game tied, Missouri went on to score 15 of the next 20 points to take a 10-point lead with 12:20 to play.

However, once again, the Racers would not go away. The Racers reeled off the next seven points to cut to the lead to three, thanks to baskets from freshmen Erika Sisk and Kelsey Dirks and a three from junior Erica Burgess. Despite their intensity and drive, that would be as close as the Racers would get to MU on the evening, eventually falling by 14.

Sisk led MSU on the night with 18 points, with exactly half coming by way of the 3-pointer. Dirks was the only other Racer to finish in double-digits, ending the game with 11 and a team-high seven rebounds.

New Year's Eve will mark the 82nd all-time between the two teams, with EKU holding a 52-29 advantage. In Murray, the Lady Colonels also lead the series, 15-26, as well as in Richmond, 13-24. Despite the lopsided number, the Racers have actually pulled close in the series in recent years, winning nine of the last 13 overall and five of the last seven at the CFSB Center.

Monday will mark the start of the Racer's 35th OVC campaign and they are now 17-17 all-time in league openers. They are 11-6 all-time in home OVC openers and 4-3 at the CFSB Center.

This year will mark the ninth time that the Racers have met the Lady Colonels in an OVC opener with the series tied at four games each. The two teams kicking-off their respective league campaigns against each other has become somewhat of a tradition, as this season will mark the seventh time in eight seasons that MSU and EKU have met to start conference action.

EKU is currently 6-5 on the season and have won three of its last five games. The Lady Colonels snapped a two-game skid on Dec. 18 by topping D-II West Virginia State, 68-43. Raechelle Gray led four EKU players in double digits with a game-high 13 points, while Jade Barber notched her fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Barber currently leads EKU in both major statistical categories with season by averaging 12.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. The Lady Colonels are currently shooting 37.4 percent overall, 30.0 percent from behind-the-arch and 65.7 percent from the free-throw line.

On Thursday, freshman Erika Sisk was named as the adidas® OVC Freshman of the Week for the third time this season. The first-year guard from Oxford, Miss., led the Racers with 18 points in their only game last week, a 69-55 loss at SEC opponent Missouri. In the game, Sisk shot 40 percent from the floor, including 30 percent from behind the arc, as well as 75 percent from the free throw line. In addition, she also added three rebounds, three steals and two assists to Murray State's cause.

According to OVC records that date back to the 2006-07 season, Sisk is now the first freshman in Racer history to win the award three times. She previously won the honor on Nov. 27 and Dec. 4. This also marks the fourth time in five weeks that an MSU player has taken home the honor, as classmate Kelsey Dirks was named Freshman of the Week on Dec. 11.

The New Year's Eve matinee will be broadcast by Kyle Rogers on 1340 AM WNBS, as well as a live video stream on the OVC Digital Network. Live stats for Monday will also be available on GoRacers.com.