Murray State
12-10,9-8OVC
Eastern Illinois
9-13,7-10OVC
Dominant Third-Quarter Leads To Big Win For Racers
2/18/2021 7:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MSU shuts down EIU 17-5 in third stanza
The Murray State women's basketball team shut down Eastern Illinois in the third quarter of Thursday's game at the CFSB Center in Murray, Kentucky to roll to a decisive 69-52 win.
MSU shot out to a 6-0 lead in the game, but the Panthers quickly answered to set the tone for a back-and-forth first half. The two teams exchanged baskets down to the very end of the second half where a Macey Turley gave MSU a 34-30 lead at the break with layup with 39 seconds to go.
In the third, Murray State displayed their most dominant 10-minutes of defense of the entire season. The Racers limited the Panthers to just five points in the frame in 1-of-16 shooting with their other three points coming at the free throw line. Meanwhile, offensively MSU took advantage of EIU's woes by going 7-for-13 from the floor in the third, a feat it would replicate in the fourth. The Panthers did attempt to come back in the fourth, but the Racers, who shot 53.8-percent from the floor in the second half, would not allow it and held on for the 17-point win.
The win over the Panthers is the sixth in a row at home for the Racers and the 10th in the last 12 games in the series. With three games left in the regular season, Murray State is now 12-10 on the year, 9-8 in the OVC and currently seventh in the league standings.
Katelyn Young, who had already recorded her seventh double-double of the season in the first half, led the Racers with 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting and 13 rebounds, while Macey Turley followed with 19. For Turley, her 19 points put her over the 1,200 mark in career scoring for a total of 1,209.
On Saturday, the Racers host SIUE at the CFSB Center for their final home game of the 2020-21 season. Tip-off is scheduled for at 4:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+, WNBS 97.9 FM and the Zeno Radio app.
