Onto the Final! Racers Defeat Drake in MVC Semifinals

Saturday, March 15

Evansville, Ind.

1:30 p.m.

Murray State

24-7,16-4MVC

Drake

22-11,15-5MVC

Drake

Murray St.

Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics

3/15/2025 4:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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The Racers tie the program record with their 24th victory of the 2024-25 season

The Murray State Racers punched their ticket to the Credit Union 1 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Tournament championship game with a 96-90 victory over the Drake Bulldogs Saturday afternoon at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

The Racers, the No. 1 seed, improved to 24-7 and advance to Sunday's title tilt against the winner of the game between No. 2 Missouri State and No. 3 Belmont in a 1 p.m. Central Time tipoff.

The Racers' 24 wins this season ties the program record that was first achieved by the 2007-08 squad.

MSU's Big-4 carried the day again as Katelyn Young scored 24 of her 30 points in the first half, while Halli Poock, Haven Ford and Ava Learn each added 18 points.

The early going produced a 12-0 run for the Racers which built a 17-5 lead at 5:31 in the first quarter on a jumper by Young. Back-to-back threes from Pena and Learn put the Racers in front 23-9 at 4:17 and they outscored the Bulldogs 12-9 in the final 3:14 to lead 59-43 at the halftime intermission.

The Bulldogs made a run and drew to 14 points with 6:51 remaining, but the Racers held Drake off to qualify for their first appearance in the MVC Tournament championship game.

Sunday's championship game will be aired by ESPN2 and ESPN+

Game Notes

Yesterday, the Racers hit their first six 3-point attempts against Bradley and today began by hitting their first four shots, including threes from Learn and Young.
The Racers had three runs today of hitting four or five consecutive field goal attempts today.
MSU's 96 points today is second all-time in the MVC Tournament, just behind the record was 98 points by Drake against Missouri State in 1983.
The combined 186 points from the Racers and Bulldogs today is an MVC Tournament record as this game bested the 179 points combined from Southern Illinois (90-86) over Indiana State in 2011.
MSU's 59 points in the first half was just off of the 62 they scored at home (Dec. 19) against Western Carolina.
The Racers are 4-2 in the MVC Tournament and have won back-to-back games for the first time.
MSU has won a season-best nine-straight games since a 92-86 loss to Drake in Murray on Feb. 13.
MSU's 9-game win streak last season is the best in eight seasons for MSU head coach Rechelle Turner at MSU.
11 in a row is the MSU program record from the 2008-09 season.
MSU is 21-2 this season when they score 80 points or more, with the only losses at Belmont 96-89 (Feb. 1) and home against Drake 92-86 (Feb. 13).
Through the first two games in the event, the Racers have hit 61-of-122 from the field for .500, 21-of-51 from the 3-point line for .412 and 39-of-46 from the free throw line for .848
Young's first half performance was high-level with 24 points, 9-11 FG, 2-2 3PT, 4-4 FT, 2 REB, 5A in 24 minutes
Young has played 153 games in five seasons with the Racers and now has 2,989 points as she continues her quest for career 3,000.
Young needs only 11 points in Sunday's final to reach the 3,000 mark.
Young has 11 games this season with 10 or more made field goals, with a season-high of 15 at Belmont (Feb. 1).
Young's 30 points today was her fifth this season of 30 or more, but off her career-high of 43 at Drake in 2023.

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