Story by Gage Johnson, staff writer
Murray State was unable to claim the seventh seed in the conference standings on Saturday when they were defeated by Austin Peay in overtime 75-69.
The Racers entered their final game of the regular season eighth overall in the OVC. With a win, Murray State could earn the seventh seed in their conference tournament. To do so, they would have to go through their “Battle of the Borders” rival Austin Peay.
Murray State got off to a rough start in the first quarter of play. Austin Peay gained the lead at 4-2 with 8:48 left in the first quarter of play, and they held onto it. The momentum never changed ways as the Governors jumped out to a 17-11 lead, until the second quarter began.
Something lit a fire under the Racers, as they came out with a high level of intensity in the second quarter. Murray State was clicking on both ends of the floor, putting up 26 points in the quarter, while holding Austin Peay to just 10. With this improvement of play from the first quarter, Murray State was able to gain a 33-27 lead going into the second half of play.
Austin Peay was able to put their second quarter woes behind them in the third. With three minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Governors had pulled within one at 40-39. They weren’t able to gain the lead despite minimizing the deficit, heading into the final 10 minutes of play down 46-43.
The fourth quarter was neck-and-neck throughout. Murray State seemed to be pulling away going on a 8-0 run, but it was Austin Peay who had a 6-0 run of their own tying the game at 54. The two continued to go back and forth, forcing the lead to change five times. The last lead change was a crucial one for the Racers. After a turnover from senior guard Keisha Gregory with 24 seconds to play, senior guard Jasmine Borders turned defense into offense with a game tying layup. The Governors were able to get up one last shot, but junior guard Falon Baker’s three was just off the mark, ending regulation with the two teams tied at 63.
With four minutes to go in the overtime period, back-to-back threes from Austin Peay put them ahead 69-67. The improved shooting from the Governors behind the arch in the second half was a huge facet to their success.
“Well we gave up one three in the first half, and gave up seven in the second half,” Head Coach Rechelle Turner said. “Those were daggers. A lot of them were on missed defensive assignments, so that’s what’s disappointing.”
Austin Peay remained in control for the next minute of play, leading 71-69. After a missed jumper from Gregory looking to put the game away, senior forward Bria Bethea secured the rebound for the Racers with 33 seconds left to play. After a quick timeout for Murray State, James received the ball, but was unable to convert the layup in the paint.
Austin Peay gained possession and knocked down four free throws over the next 26 seconds. This gave the Governors the overtime win, defeating the Racers 75-69.
Austin Peay was led by a trio of double-figure scorers in Gregory (19), Baker (18), and senior center Brianne Alexander (18). All but two of the starters for the Governors played at least 40 of the 45 minutes of play.
The loss now guarantees Murray State the eighth seed for the OVC tournament. They will now have three days to prepare for their game, when they take on one-seeded Belmont University at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at Evansville, Indiana.
