Murray State University Athletics
Saturday, February 25
Cookeville, Tenn.
5:30 PM
Murray State
at
Tennessee Tech
Photo by: Tab Brockman
Racers Wrap-Up Regular Season at Tennessee Tech
2/24/2012 5:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Murray State (12-16, 8-7 OVC) at Tennessee Tech (14-15, 10-5 OVC)
Saturday - 5:3 p.m.
Eblen Center
Cookeville, Tenn.
Game Notes I Listen Live I Watch Live I Live Stats
The Game
The Murray State women's basketball team will play its final regular-season game, Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tenn. The Racers will be battling with Tennessee Tech, starting at 5:30 p.m. A win would secure that MSU would get the No. 4 seed in the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Championship, Feb. 29-March 3, which would give them a first-round bye.
Scouting Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles are 14-15 overall and 10-5 in league play after winning four of their last five games. The 10-5 OVC mark places them third in the standings for the season and gives them a first-round bye in the tournament.
TTU has two key players to watch, in Tacarra Hayes and Jala Harris. Both are averaging close to 15 points per game and combine for 38 percent of the teams overall shots taken and made. Hayes is netting 16.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting .411 from the field and adding 113 assists and 38 steals. Harris is contributing 14.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per outing. She is also shooting .399 from the field and .276 from beyond the arc. Alone, Harris accounts for 17 percent of the teams taken and made three's.
The Golden Eagles are close to their opponents in all the statistical categories on the season box score, especially in points and rebounds per game. Despite a winning OVC record, TTU is averaging 0.7 fewer points than the competition and 1.0 fewer rebounds. The Golden Eagles are also hitting 39.6 percent of their shots to 39.9 percent by their opponents.
TTU has done better on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game in the second half this season. They have scored 36 more points in the second stanza and allowed their opponents score seven fewer points.
Against the Golden Eagles
In the first meeting this season between the Racers and the Golden Eagles, MSU earned a 76-72 victory at the CFSB Center.
The Racers were led by junior Mariah Robinson, who tallied 24 points and eight rebounds. Red-shirt sophomore Erica Burgess added 18 points and six rebounds, while junior Kyra Watson had a career night with 13 points and six rebounds.
TTU was led by Tacarra Hayes, who garnered a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Brittany Darling added 15 points and nine boards, while Jala Harris contributed 12 points.
Free throws ended up being the deciding factor in the game, as MSU trailed TTU in rebounding (52-39) and shooting percentage (38.8 to 33.3). The Racers made 24-of-29 attempts from the charity stripe to the Golden Eagles 19-of-27 mark. Three-point shots were also a key advantage for MSU, who made 8-of-27 triples and held TTU to just a 1-of-15 clip.
The Series
The all-time series with TTU is slanted toward the Golden Eagles, with TTU holding a 57-14 lead. The Racers broke a three game losing streak to the Golden Eagles earlier this season, but MSU has won just three games against TTU at the Eblen Center in 34 previous meetings.
OVC Tournament Hopes
The Racers have already secured a spot in the eight-team Ohio Valley Conference Championship, Feb. 29-March 3 in Nashville, Tenn., at Municipal Arena. MSU can finish anywhere from fourth to sixth in the standings with this Saturday's final regular-season games. The Racers are currently in the No. 4 spot, with Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State close behind. The trip to the tournament is the 14th-consecutive appearance for the Racers and the 19th overall. No matter where they are seeded MSU will have its highest seed since claiming the No. 1 spot in 2009. If MSU can earn the No. 4 spot the team will earn a first-round bye in the tournament and not play until March 1, if not they will play their first game Feb. 29.
Joining the 500 Club
The Racers became the sixth team from the OVC to record the programs 500th victory when they defeated SEMO, 63-62 in the CFSB Center. The game was also the team's 108th win in the CFSB Center. MSU is now 501-645-2 in their 47th season of basketball. The Racers join Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, SIU Edwardsville and Tennessee Tech in the club.
1,000 Point Club Membership
Junior Mariah Robinson earned her membership in the 1,000 Point Club at Murray State, Feb. 1, 2012 against Morehead State. The Beaver Dam, Ky., native became the 18th member of the club and the ninth Racer to do so during her junior campaign. Robinson took 79 career games to reach the milestone and is the eighth fastest in MSU history. She currently has 1,051 points and is 13th on the career points list at MSU.
Athlete (Year Reached 1,000 Pts.) - Games Taken
Shelia Smith (1986-87) - 57 games
Stephanie Minor (1996-97) - 61 games
Laura Lynn (1979-80) - 66 games
Michelle Wenning (1989-90) - 69 games
Jennifer Parker (1992-93) - 74 games
Amber Guffey (2007-08) - 77 games
Ashley N Hayes (2007-08) - 77 games
Mariah Robinson (2009-Pr.) - 79 games
Jackie Mounts (1977-78) - 80 games
Dynamic Duos
For the second time in the 2011-12 season a duo of players combined for 20+ points each. Senior Mallory Schwab garnered a career-high 26 points and junior Mariah Robinson added 25 against Morehead State. Red-shirt sophomore Erica Burgess (31) and Robinson (21) both had outstanding games for the Racers against Longwood. Burgess also made the Last Time It Happened List by recording 31 points and became the first to tally 30+ points in a game since Robinson recorded 44 at Jacksonville State (1/23/12).
Making Move Up or On Top-10 Lists
Three members of the team are currently on three top-10 lists at MSU. Junior Mariah Robinson is currently ranked No. 2 on the three's made chart, with 167. She is 43 from No. 1 (210-Amber Guffey). Senior Kayla Lowe also joined Robinson on the list, with her 136 career triples, tied for the No. 4 spot. She is three from No. 3 (143-Ashley B. Hayes).
Fellow senior Mallory Schwab also earned her way onto the blocks top-10 list. The Martinsville, Ind., native has 55 blocks and is tied for No. 5. She needs five more to move up to No. 4 (60-Monika Gadson).
Three Point Season
The Racers have made 211 triples this season, 91.0 percent of the school record for the most three's in a season (232 - 2008-09). This is just the third season that MSU has tallied over 200 three-point shots. The Racers also made 230 in the 2009-10 campaign. 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 one has not attempted a shot from beyond the arc and 7-of-11 have made at least one.
Nifty-Fifty
Head Coach Rob Cross reached his first coaching win milestone with the Racers, 76-72, win over Tennessee Tech at the CFSB Center, Jan. 14, 2012. The win gave the fourth-year head coach his 50th career win in just his 108th game coached.
Shaking Up the Line-Up
The Racers have now used 11 different starting line-ups this season, the second most for a Division I team this season. The only other team with more this season is Austin Peay with 14 different starting line-up combinations. MSU has also started nine of their 12 players on the team, with only Erica Burgess earning a starting role in all the Racers games this season.
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 eight 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.
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 will head back to Nashville, Tenn., for the 2012 OVC Championship, Feb. 29-March 3 at Municipal Arena.
Saturday - 5:3 p.m.
Eblen Center
Cookeville, Tenn.
Game Notes I Listen Live I Watch Live I Live Stats
The Game
The Murray State women's basketball team will play its final regular-season game, Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tenn. The Racers will be battling with Tennessee Tech, starting at 5:30 p.m. A win would secure that MSU would get the No. 4 seed in the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Championship, Feb. 29-March 3, which would give them a first-round bye.
Scouting Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles are 14-15 overall and 10-5 in league play after winning four of their last five games. The 10-5 OVC mark places them third in the standings for the season and gives them a first-round bye in the tournament.
TTU has two key players to watch, in Tacarra Hayes and Jala Harris. Both are averaging close to 15 points per game and combine for 38 percent of the teams overall shots taken and made. Hayes is netting 16.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting .411 from the field and adding 113 assists and 38 steals. Harris is contributing 14.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per outing. She is also shooting .399 from the field and .276 from beyond the arc. Alone, Harris accounts for 17 percent of the teams taken and made three's.
The Golden Eagles are close to their opponents in all the statistical categories on the season box score, especially in points and rebounds per game. Despite a winning OVC record, TTU is averaging 0.7 fewer points than the competition and 1.0 fewer rebounds. The Golden Eagles are also hitting 39.6 percent of their shots to 39.9 percent by their opponents.
TTU has done better on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game in the second half this season. They have scored 36 more points in the second stanza and allowed their opponents score seven fewer points.
Against the Golden Eagles
In the first meeting this season between the Racers and the Golden Eagles, MSU earned a 76-72 victory at the CFSB Center.
The Racers were led by junior Mariah Robinson, who tallied 24 points and eight rebounds. Red-shirt sophomore Erica Burgess added 18 points and six rebounds, while junior Kyra Watson had a career night with 13 points and six rebounds.
TTU was led by Tacarra Hayes, who garnered a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Brittany Darling added 15 points and nine boards, while Jala Harris contributed 12 points.
Free throws ended up being the deciding factor in the game, as MSU trailed TTU in rebounding (52-39) and shooting percentage (38.8 to 33.3). The Racers made 24-of-29 attempts from the charity stripe to the Golden Eagles 19-of-27 mark. Three-point shots were also a key advantage for MSU, who made 8-of-27 triples and held TTU to just a 1-of-15 clip.
The Series
The all-time series with TTU is slanted toward the Golden Eagles, with TTU holding a 57-14 lead. The Racers broke a three game losing streak to the Golden Eagles earlier this season, but MSU has won just three games against TTU at the Eblen Center in 34 previous meetings.
OVC Tournament Hopes
The Racers have already secured a spot in the eight-team Ohio Valley Conference Championship, Feb. 29-March 3 in Nashville, Tenn., at Municipal Arena. MSU can finish anywhere from fourth to sixth in the standings with this Saturday's final regular-season games. The Racers are currently in the No. 4 spot, with Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State close behind. The trip to the tournament is the 14th-consecutive appearance for the Racers and the 19th overall. No matter where they are seeded MSU will have its highest seed since claiming the No. 1 spot in 2009. If MSU can earn the No. 4 spot the team will earn a first-round bye in the tournament and not play until March 1, if not they will play their first game Feb. 29.
Joining the 500 Club
The Racers became the sixth team from the OVC to record the programs 500th victory when they defeated SEMO, 63-62 in the CFSB Center. The game was also the team's 108th win in the CFSB Center. MSU is now 501-645-2 in their 47th season of basketball. The Racers join Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, SIU Edwardsville and Tennessee Tech in the club.
1,000 Point Club Membership
Junior Mariah Robinson earned her membership in the 1,000 Point Club at Murray State, Feb. 1, 2012 against Morehead State. The Beaver Dam, Ky., native became the 18th member of the club and the ninth Racer to do so during her junior campaign. Robinson took 79 career games to reach the milestone and is the eighth fastest in MSU history. She currently has 1,051 points and is 13th on the career points list at MSU.
Athlete (Year Reached 1,000 Pts.) - Games Taken
Shelia Smith (1986-87) - 57 games
Stephanie Minor (1996-97) - 61 games
Laura Lynn (1979-80) - 66 games
Michelle Wenning (1989-90) - 69 games
Jennifer Parker (1992-93) - 74 games
Amber Guffey (2007-08) - 77 games
Ashley N Hayes (2007-08) - 77 games
Mariah Robinson (2009-Pr.) - 79 games
Jackie Mounts (1977-78) - 80 games
Dynamic Duos
For the second time in the 2011-12 season a duo of players combined for 20+ points each. Senior Mallory Schwab garnered a career-high 26 points and junior Mariah Robinson added 25 against Morehead State. Red-shirt sophomore Erica Burgess (31) and Robinson (21) both had outstanding games for the Racers against Longwood. Burgess also made the Last Time It Happened List by recording 31 points and became the first to tally 30+ points in a game since Robinson recorded 44 at Jacksonville State (1/23/12).
Making Move Up or On Top-10 Lists
Three members of the team are currently on three top-10 lists at MSU. Junior Mariah Robinson is currently ranked No. 2 on the three's made chart, with 167. She is 43 from No. 1 (210-Amber Guffey). Senior Kayla Lowe also joined Robinson on the list, with her 136 career triples, tied for the No. 4 spot. She is three from No. 3 (143-Ashley B. Hayes).
Fellow senior Mallory Schwab also earned her way onto the blocks top-10 list. The Martinsville, Ind., native has 55 blocks and is tied for No. 5. She needs five more to move up to No. 4 (60-Monika Gadson).
Three Point Season
The Racers have made 211 triples this season, 91.0 percent of the school record for the most three's in a season (232 - 2008-09). This is just the third season that MSU has tallied over 200 three-point shots. The Racers also made 230 in the 2009-10 campaign. 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 one has not attempted a shot from beyond the arc and 7-of-11 have made at least one.
Nifty-Fifty
Head Coach Rob Cross reached his first coaching win milestone with the Racers, 76-72, win over Tennessee Tech at the CFSB Center, Jan. 14, 2012. The win gave the fourth-year head coach his 50th career win in just his 108th game coached.
Shaking Up the Line-Up
The Racers have now used 11 different starting line-ups this season, the second most for a Division I team this season. The only other team with more this season is Austin Peay with 14 different starting line-up combinations. MSU has also started nine of their 12 players on the team, with only Erica Burgess earning a starting role in all the Racers games this season.
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 eight 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.
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 will head back to Nashville, Tenn., for the 2012 OVC Championship, Feb. 29-March 3 at Municipal Arena.
Head Coach Ryan Miller | Racer Men's Basketball | 10/13/2025 Press Conference
Tuesday, October 14
Head Coach Jody Wright | Racer Football | 10/13/2025 Press Conference
Tuesday, October 14
JJ Traynor & Javon Jackson | Racer Men's Basketball | 10/13/2025 Press Conference
Tuesday, October 14
Jordan Washington & Jim Ogle | 10/11 | Racer Football Post-game Press Conference
Monday, October 13
