Racers Nipped Late Against JSU

Thursday, February 15

CFSB Center

5 p.m.

Murray State

9-17 (5-10OVC)

Jacksonville State

16-10 (10-5OVC)

Jacksonville State

Murray State

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

2/15/2018 8:46:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

The Murray State Racers dropped a 59-55 defeat Thursday to Jacksonville State Gamecocks in a key Ohio Valley Conference game that might hurt their chances of making the OVC Tournament next month.

The Racers (9-17) fell to 5-10 in OVC play, but stayed in a tie for the eighth-place spot with Eastern Kentucky who lost to Belmont. The top-8 squads get into the OVC Tournament (Feb. 28-March 3) at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

Ke'Shunan James scored 24 of MSU's 55 points on 7-of-19 shooting, while Bria Bethea added 10 points.

Trailing 11-10 coming out of the first quarter, MSU went on a 6-0 run for their largest lead in the first half after a James three-point play and a jumper by Bria Bethea. MSU led JSU 16-11 with 6:00 remaining in the second quarter. After JSU took the lead back, Jasmine Borders drilled the Racers' only 3-pointer of the half for a one-point lead. The half ended with the Racers in front in a low scoring game of 23-20. Both teams were cold from the field as MSU shot 37 percent and JSU 23 percent.

A tip-in by Griffith-Wallace and five-straight points by James gave the Racers a 33-26 lead on a 7-0 run with 4:30 left in the third quarter. Abria Gulledge hit her first basket of the game at the 2:26 mark, a 3-pointer, to put the Racers up 38-30. MSU won the third quarter 17-11 and carried a 40-33 lead into the fourth.

JSU opened the final quarter with a 10-2 and suddenly, they had a 43-42 lead with 6:59 left to play. Bethea hit a pair of threes for a 50-46 lead with 3:13 left, but the Racers couldn't dent the scoreboard again until 11.9 left when James scored, but the Racers trailed 55-53. The previous cold spell sent JSU on a 9-1 run to claim the lead. The Racers never got the ball again with a chance to tie or take the lead.

With only one more regular season home game remaining, the Racers host Tennessee Tech at 5 p.m. Saturday at the CFSB Center and honor their four seniors of Bria Bethea (Clay, Alabama), Jasmine Borders (O'Fallon Illinois), Mary Jones (Lorain, Ohio) and Ke'Shunan James (Jackson, Tennessee). The tip time is at 5 p.m.

Racer fans will want to see the 2018 Murray State Hall of Fame Saturday. The 10-person class will be recognized at halftime of the men's game. The Racer women's basketball program is proud to have current assistant coach, Amber Guffey, as part of the 2018 class. Guffey was a three-time All-OVC selection from 2006-09 and finished as the third all-time scorer in Racer history with 1,877 points. She also ranked first in program history in minutes played, games played, assists and made free throws. Guffey was part of MSU's most successful period as the team won their first OVC Tournament title and made the NCAA appearance in the 2007-08 season. Guffey is the fourth from women's basketball to be inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame.