Murray State University Athletics
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Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics
Young Named POY; Three More Named All-OVC
3/1/2022 1:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Four total All-OVC nods sets program record
Sophomore Katelyn Young of the Murray State women's basketball team was named as the 2021-22 OVC Player of the Year Tuesday by a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors. In addition, four Racers, including Young, were named to the 2021-22 OVC All-Conference teams. Both Young and Macey Turley were named to the first team, while Alexis Burpo and Hannah McKay were named to the second team.
Young's Player of the Year honor is the sixth in program history, with Young becoming the fifth Racer to win the prestigious award, as Ashley N. Hayes won the award in both 2007-08 and 2008-09. The four All-OVC selections is a new program-high for the Racers, eclipsing the previous best of three, which was accomplished on five separate occasions.
Since taking over the Racer program in 2017-18, Rechelle Turner's teams have won two Player of the Year awards, one Freshman of the Year award and have earned 12 all-conference selections. During Turner's tenure, the Racers have never had less than two All-OVC nods in a single season. The now 12 total All-OVC awards under Turner is now the most by any coach in MSU women's basketball history, surpassing Eddie Field's 11 earned from 1993-2003.
Young has turned in arguably one the best seasons by a Racers in the storied history of the program. She won eight OVC Player of the Week honors over the course of the season, tying UT Martin's Chelsea Perry for the most in league history. She currently paces the league in both scoring and rebounding at 20.2 points per game and 8.1 boards per game, while also leading the OVC in eight other statistical categories. On top of scoring frequently, she has done so with efficiency, shooting 58.6-percent from the floor on the season, the 10th-best percentage in the nation. Tuesday's honor is the second of her career for Young, after also being named to the first team a year ago.
For Turley, Tuesday's selection allowed her to become just the third player in program history to earn All-OVC accolades in each of the four years of her career. Tuesday's honor also marks the third straight season in which Turley has been named to the first team. Only the second player in school history to score 1,600 points and tally 400 assists, the Murray native had another solid year as averaged 13.8 points and a team-high 3.7 assists per game. Earlier this season, Turley became the third Racer ever to make 200 3-pointers in her career this season and it shows, as she is currently 11th in the nation 3-point field goal percentage at 43.9-percent.
Burpo is now a two-time All-OVC selection, after also being named to the second team for the 2019-20 season. She has been a reliable scorer, a proficient passer and a force on the glass for Murray State this season, averaging 10.8 points, 3.2 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game. Burpo has also been solid at free throw line for Murray State where she is one of four players shooting over 80-percent for year, currently at 81.6-percent. Burpo registered two double-doubles this season, in addition to having career-high season totals in field goal percentage at 55.7, 3-point field goal percentage at 31.6, free throw percentage, assists at 94 and points at 313.
The 2021-22 season has been a breakout campaign for McKay and she has capped it off with the first All-OVC honor of her career. The sophomore has done a little bit of everything for the Racers this season and is currently averaging 12.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. She too has been incredibly efficient over the course of the year and has ended the regular season by shooting 49.1-percent from the field, 33.9-percent from 3-point range and 80.5-percent at the free throw line. In the Racers' home win over Austin Peay this season, McKay set new career highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds, while notching her second of three double-doubles this season.
While the 2021-22 Racers may be one of the most decorated in the history of Murray State women's basketball, they are far from finished, as they now focus their efforts on winning the OVC Women's Basketball Championship for just the second-time ever.
MSU's journey to March Madness will kick-off Thursday, when the third-seeded Racers take on the winner of Wednesday's quarterfinal contest between No. 6 UT Martin and No. 7 SIUE at 3:30 p.m. at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
Young's Player of the Year honor is the sixth in program history, with Young becoming the fifth Racer to win the prestigious award, as Ashley N. Hayes won the award in both 2007-08 and 2008-09. The four All-OVC selections is a new program-high for the Racers, eclipsing the previous best of three, which was accomplished on five separate occasions.
Since taking over the Racer program in 2017-18, Rechelle Turner's teams have won two Player of the Year awards, one Freshman of the Year award and have earned 12 all-conference selections. During Turner's tenure, the Racers have never had less than two All-OVC nods in a single season. The now 12 total All-OVC awards under Turner is now the most by any coach in MSU women's basketball history, surpassing Eddie Field's 11 earned from 1993-2003.
Young has turned in arguably one the best seasons by a Racers in the storied history of the program. She won eight OVC Player of the Week honors over the course of the season, tying UT Martin's Chelsea Perry for the most in league history. She currently paces the league in both scoring and rebounding at 20.2 points per game and 8.1 boards per game, while also leading the OVC in eight other statistical categories. On top of scoring frequently, she has done so with efficiency, shooting 58.6-percent from the floor on the season, the 10th-best percentage in the nation. Tuesday's honor is the second of her career for Young, after also being named to the first team a year ago.
For Turley, Tuesday's selection allowed her to become just the third player in program history to earn All-OVC accolades in each of the four years of her career. Tuesday's honor also marks the third straight season in which Turley has been named to the first team. Only the second player in school history to score 1,600 points and tally 400 assists, the Murray native had another solid year as averaged 13.8 points and a team-high 3.7 assists per game. Earlier this season, Turley became the third Racer ever to make 200 3-pointers in her career this season and it shows, as she is currently 11th in the nation 3-point field goal percentage at 43.9-percent.
Burpo is now a two-time All-OVC selection, after also being named to the second team for the 2019-20 season. She has been a reliable scorer, a proficient passer and a force on the glass for Murray State this season, averaging 10.8 points, 3.2 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game. Burpo has also been solid at free throw line for Murray State where she is one of four players shooting over 80-percent for year, currently at 81.6-percent. Burpo registered two double-doubles this season, in addition to having career-high season totals in field goal percentage at 55.7, 3-point field goal percentage at 31.6, free throw percentage, assists at 94 and points at 313.
The 2021-22 season has been a breakout campaign for McKay and she has capped it off with the first All-OVC honor of her career. The sophomore has done a little bit of everything for the Racers this season and is currently averaging 12.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. She too has been incredibly efficient over the course of the year and has ended the regular season by shooting 49.1-percent from the field, 33.9-percent from 3-point range and 80.5-percent at the free throw line. In the Racers' home win over Austin Peay this season, McKay set new career highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds, while notching her second of three double-doubles this season.
While the 2021-22 Racers may be one of the most decorated in the history of Murray State women's basketball, they are far from finished, as they now focus their efforts on winning the OVC Women's Basketball Championship for just the second-time ever.
MSU's journey to March Madness will kick-off Thursday, when the third-seeded Racers take on the winner of Wednesday's quarterfinal contest between No. 6 UT Martin and No. 7 SIUE at 3:30 p.m. at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
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