Rebounding Costs Racers Against UCA

Saturday, November 21

CFSB Center

1 p.m.

Murray State

2-2

Central Arkansas

2-1

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Central Arkansas	13	18	18	12	61
Murray State	13	10	12	16	51

Photo by: Sam Sheffer

11/21/2015 3:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Central Arkansas outrebounded Murray State by 21 (48-27) and outscored the Racers by 13 on second-chance points as the Murray State women's basketball team lost its second straight game Saturday afternoon at the CFSB Center, 61-51.

MSU shot 34 percent (18-for-53) from the floor in the game while the Sugar Bears (2-1) shot 36.8 percent (21-for-57). The Racers hit six 3-pointers in the loss while UCA made five from long range. The Sugar Bears went 14-of-18 from the free-throw line while the Racers were 9-of-14 from the stripe. The Racers also forced five more turnovers of the Sugar Bears in the loss with both teams scoring 15 points off of miscues.

Central Arkansas' slower pace held the Racer offense in check, holding MSU to 30 points below its season average of 81 and the 34 percent shooting was also a season-low.

Ke'Shunan James led the way for MSU with 14 points, but was just 4-for-12 from the floor, LeAsia Wright added nine points and a game-high four assists in the game and also tallied a career-high seven steals, including steals on three consecutive defensive possessions. Kyra Gulledge had eight points and eight boards in the game.

The Racers (2-2) got off to a sluggish start to the game as UCA opened the game with a 10-2 run. A Bria Bethea three-ball at the buzzer of the quarter tied the game at 13-13 heading into the second. Another slow start to a quarter came for the Racers in the second as the Sugar Bears scored the first nine of the period and carried a 31-23 lead into halftime.

MSU hit its first three shots to open the second half and was able to trim the deficit to 35-33 with 5:47 remaining in the third quarter. That's when Central Arkansas went on a big 14-2 run to close the quarter and led by its biggest margin of the game, 49-35 heading into the final quarter. The Racers continued to fight back however, cutting the score to 55-51 with 46 seconds left. UCA was able to make all six of its free throws the final minute of the game and was able to salt away the victory.

The Racers return to the road Tuesday as they travel to Nashville for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off at Lipscomb. MSU and the Sugar Bears will meet again exactly one week from Saturday down in Conway, Ark.