Racers Open OVC Play at Eastern Kentucky

Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video

Date/Time: Dec. 30, 7 p.m. EDT
Site: Richmond, Ky. (McBrayer Arena)
TV: None
Radio: Froggy 103.7 FM
Web Streaming: Video – OVCDigitalNetwork.com; Audio – Froggy103.com
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
Twitter In Game: @MSURacers @PGriffithMSU
All-Time Series vs. EKU: EKU leads 54-29
First Meeting: L 50-53 in Murray (Mar. 3, 1972)
Last Meeting: L 51-62 in Nashville (Mar. 6, 2013)
MSU Last Game: W 81-70 vs. Bethune-Cookman in DeLand, Fla. (Dec. 21)
MSU Next Game: Jan. 4 vs. UT Martin, 7 p.m.
MSU Next Home: Jan. 4 vs. UT Martin, 7 p.m.

The Murray State women's basketball teamwill open OVC play Monday when it travels across the Commonwealth to take on the Lady Colonels of Eastern Kentucky.

The Racers went 1-1 at the 2013 Hatter Classic, hosted by Stetson, by closing out play in the Sunshine State with an 81-70 win over Bethune-Cookman. The win avenged an earlier 103-72 tournament loss to host Stetson.

Against Bethune, the Racers controlled the momentum from the get-go and never looked back. Murray State shot a season-high 87 percent at the free throw line in the contest, making 20 of 23 attempts.

Keiona Kirby led all scorers with 28 points in the game, just one point off her career-high, and herself was 12-for-14 at the charity stripe. Jessica Winfrey was also one point off of a career-high with 16 and tied her career mark in the rebound column with 18. Taylor Porter rounded out the three Racers in double-digits against the Wildcats with 13.

Monday will be the 84th meeting in the series with Eastern Kentucky, one that has been played at least once each year for the last 42 years. The Lady Colonels hold a distinct in advantage in the series winning 54 of the 83 previous contests.

Murray State is currently 15-27 against EKU in Murray, 13-24 in Richmond and 1-3 at neutral sites. The Lady Colonels won both meetings last season, including a 62-51 victory in the opening round of the OVC tournament, a loss that ended the Racers' season.

Eastern Kentucky is currently 6-5 on the season and sports the best non-conference mark on the eastern side of the league. EKU will enter Monday on almost two weeks of rest, having last picked up a 60-47 win at Longwood on Dec. 18. Pilar Walker led three Lady Colonels in double-digits in the contest with 16 points and was followed by Michaela Hunter and Jasmine Henshaw, who had 11 and 10, respectively.

Marie Carpenter currently leads EKU with 21.7 points per game, which is good enough for 22nd in the nation and second in the OVC, currently. Jasmine Stafford is the current leading rebounder for Eastern Kentucky with 6.7, while Miranda Maples is close behind at 6.1. The Lady Colonels are averaging 66.9 points per game, while allowing opponents to score 62.8. They are shooting 38.5 percent from the floor, 32.2 percent from 3-point range and 70.1 percent at the free throw line.

Monday will open the Racers' 36th season in the OVC and they will enter the contest with a 17-18 record in league openers. They are 4-5 all-time when they open league play against Eastern Kentucky and 6-11 when the opener happens on the road. Murray State is 2-3 all-time in OVC lid-lifters under head coach Rob Cross and 1-3 during his tenure in openers against EKU

Live stats, free live streaming audio and free live streaming video, courtesy of the OVC Digital Network, will be available for the game, with links posted at GoRacers.com. Locally, fans can listen to J.T. Waszkowski call all the action on Froggy 103.7 FM

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