Story by Gage Johnson
Sports Editor
Murray State women’s basketball extended its winning streak to three games by defeating Eastern Kentucky 76-63 on the back of one of its best three-point shooting performances of the season, going 11-for-24.
The Racers came flying out of the gates, firing on all cylinders. Murray State jumped to a 13-10 lead halfway through the first quarter, with freshman guard Macey Turley pouring in eight points on her first three shots of the game. Turley finished the game with 14 points, five rebounds and six assists.
After closing the first quarter holding onto a 22-14 lead, the Racers continued to control the game in large part to a 22-12 rebounding edge. This along with 4-9 shooting from beyond the arc led to a 41-29 lead going into the second half.
To open the third quarter, every time Murray State scored, the Colonels had an answer. EKU continued to hang around until an 11-6 run with four minutes remaining in the quarter propelled them to cutting the Racers’ lead to 60-57.
After a 28 point quarter from the Colonels, Murray State responded on the defensive end. EKU shot 3-for-14, leaving them with six points in the fourth quarter. The Racers turned defense into offense by shooting 6-for-11 from the field, 3-for-5 from three, allowing them to walk away with a 76-63 victory.
Murray State’s offense has found its stride during their current winning streak, shooting over 40 percent in its last two games. Sophomore guard Janika Griffith-Wallace matched Turley with 14 points, while junior forward Evelyn Adebayo scored her 16th double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
The Racers also found help off their bench, as freshman guard Lex Mayes and junior forward Cekeya Mack both scored nine points on the night. Mayes was one of three Murray State players to knock down three triples, helping the Racers shoot 11-24 from beyond the arc. This mark falls just short of Murray State’s game-high for threes (14) which was reached against Lipscomb.
With its third straight win, the Racers will now travel to Austin Peay in hopes of tying for the sixth spot in the OVC. Tip-off will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16, at the Dunn Center.
