Racers Lose Heartbreaker at UT Martin

Saturday, February 25

Martin, Tenn.

4 p.m.

Murray State

15-14 (7-9OVC)

UT Martin

11-18 (8-8OVC)

Murray State

UT Martin

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

2/25/2017 6:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

The Murray State women's season came to a heartbreaking end Saturday afternoon in Martin, Tenn., as the Racers' second half rally came up just short at the Elam Center, as MSU fell to the Skyhawks 83-82, knocking the Racers out of contention for the OVC Tournament as well.

Trailing 78-74 with just 3:15 to play, the Racers (15-14, 7-9 OVC) went on a 7-0 run in a little under a minute and a half and took an 81-78 lead with 1:50 left in the ballgame. After a Ke'Shunan James free throw made it a two-point game, a three-point play from the Skyhawks' Janekia Mason put UT Martin (11-18, 8-8 OVC) up 83-82 with 23 seconds left to play. James got one more look at the basket for the Racers in the waning seconds of the game but was unable to hit.

MSU was able to rally from a nine-point halftime deficit, 54-45 to take the late fourth quarter lead and trailed for most of the game. UTM also led by as many as 11 points in the first half.

Both teams shot the ball well on the day as MSU hit 48.5 percent from the field and went 10-of-29 (34.5 percent) from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Martin was able to shoot over 52 percent on the day and also hit 10 3-pointers on 24 attempts for a 41.7 percent clip.

James was phenomenal in the losing effort for the Racers as she scored a game-high 29 points, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out a game-best seven assists and tallied five steals in the game. Abria Gulledge added 17 points and made three 3-pointers while Bria Bethea and LeAsia Wright added 14 each.

Wright ends up just shy of becoming the 20^th member of the 1,000-point club in program history. Wright will finish her career with 983 points. James finishes the season with 594 points, which is the fifth-highest single-season mark in program history. Her league-leading 20.5 points per game this year are the seventh-best scoring average in school history.

MSU finishes the season in a four-way tie for sixth place in the OVC standings along with Eastern Kentucky, Southeast Missouri and Tennessee Tech. Due to a tiebreaker, the Racers will mist the OVC Tournament.