Murray State
11-10,8-8OVC
UT Martin
14-4,13-2OVC
Skyhawks Edge Racers In OVC Thriller
2/13/2021 6:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball
UTM standout Perry hirs game-winner in first game back from injury
The Murray State women's basketball team dropped a 67-65 heartbreaker to UT Martin Saturday night at the CFSB Center in Murray, Kentucky, in a game that went down to the every last shot.
After scoring an impressive 25 points in the first quarter where they went 11-for-19 from the floor, the Racers went cold in the second scoring just seven points on 3-for-12 shooting. Despite the cold-snap, MSU was able to hold UTM to just 15 points in the first and 13 in the second and took a 32-28 lead into the locker room at the break.
In the third, the Skyhawks were just one point better than Murray State, allowing the Racers to take a 50-47 lead into the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter of Saturday's contest resembled a heavyweight boxing match of old with the two teams trading blows back and forth over the entire 10 minutes of the quarter.
UT Martin took the lead for the first time in the game since the first quarter early in the fourth on 3-pointer from Maddie Waldrop. The Skyhawks held the lead and grew it to as much as for for nearly three minutes until a back-to-back 3-pointer from Bria Sanders-Woods and layup from Manna Mensah put their team back on top, 59-58, with 4:33 to play.
Murray State pushed the lead out three on a pair of free throws by Macey Turley, but two quick baskets by Dasia Young and Perry allowed UTM to retake the lead with 2:20 remaining. From there, MSU went back in front on a jumper from Mensah with 1:56 to play, only to have UTM snatch the lead back with eight seconds left in the game on a Seygan Robins 3-pointer.
On the ensuing MSU possession, Katelyn Young powered herself to under the basket to tie game at 65 with five seconds to play. With 1.1 seconds left, Perry proved why she is one of the best players in the nation and scored to put her team on top, 67-63. Despite only having 1.1 seconds, Turley got a good look at a 3-pointer, but it did not go in as the Skyhawks held on for the win.
After scoring 80-plus points in four out of five non-conference games, on Saturday the Racers scored 80-plus for the first time this year against a conference opponent. Murray State is now 4-1 on the season when it scores 80-plus points and 9-3 on the year when scoring 70 or more points.
With a game-high 22 points Saturday, Turley has now scored 20-plus points in each of her last three game and in eight of her last 11. Katelyn Young contributed 12 to the cause, while Laci Hawthorne added 11 and Bria Sanders-Woods had 10 to round out four Racers in double-digits. For Young, the game marked her sixth double-double of the season as she also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, while Sander-Woods flirted with a double-double of her own by a adding a career-high six assists.
On Thursday, Murray State hosts Eastern Illinois for its penultimate home game of the 2020-21 season. Tip-off from the CFSB Center is scheduled for at 4:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+, 104.5 WBZB FM and the Zeno Radio app.
