Josh Embry
Contributing Writer
The Murray State women’s basketball team reached the 100-point mark for the 28th time in franchise history and snapped their five-game losing streak by defeating Tennessee State 100-62.
The Racers struggled offensively in their last five games, averaging only 61.6 ppg. Sophomore guard Macey Turley said that their offense was a point of emphasis in practice throughout the week.
“I think our offense has been kind of stagnant, so in practice the past few days we’ve been working on our pace, like going in transition and actually cutting hard and setting good screens and things like that,” Turley said.
Offense was not a problem, as Murray State shot over 50% from the field, 45% from deep and 79% at the foul line. Head Coach Rechelle Turner said the team was unselfish and confident when taking shots.
“It sure was nice to see the ball go in the basket tonight,” Turner said. “I thought that tonight showed our willingness to pass and share [the ball]. Tonight, the kids stepped up [and] shot the ball with confidence and I think each ball that went in just gave them more confidence.”
Before tipoff, Turner reminded the team that they needed to have a sense of urgency about this game so they could come out hot and end their losing streak.
“We just talked about the necessity of urgency,” Turner said. “I mean we had to be urgent from the beginning [and] we had to make sure that we were locked in and do the things that we needed to do.”
Turner’s message seemed to resonate with her players, as Murray State came out and dropped 31 points while holding Tennessee State to only 11 points.
The Racers nailed three triples in the first two minutes and were 6-for-7 from the field four minutes in. They also got at it defensively, forcing eight Tennessee State turnovers.
Junior forward Laci Hawthorne was a dominant force in the quarter, scoring 11 points (5-7 FG) and collecting five rebounds.
Murray State was outscored in the second quarter due to turnovers and missed shots but still held a commanding 51-35 lead at halftime.
Three Racers scored in double digits after two quarters with freshman forward Macie Gibson, who averages 7.2 ppg, leading with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting. Turner knows that Gibson has the skills and intangibles to provide more for this team going forward.
“She was able to do some things tonight that we knew she was able to do,” Turner said. “She can obviously stretch the defense. I thought she was more physical on the inside [and] she got some rebounds for us.”
Murray State came out at halftime and went on numerous scoring runs that proved fatal for the Tigers. Additionally, sophomore forward Alexis Burpo dished out four assists in the third quarter.
Turner moved Turley off the ball so that Turley would not be the center of attention and so she could get easier baskets, and that she did. Turley scored nine straight points for the Racers in a two minute span.
“It’s something that we’ve been looking at because sometimes Macey’s easy to find when she’s at the head of the offense and so being able to run her off some screens [and] get her off some different actions sometimes, I think, helps us loosen things up and Alexis is getting more comfortable in that situation,” Turner said.
Burpo’s role as a facilitator proved not only beneficial to herself but to others around her as well. She said she embraced the role to help get Turley into easier scoring opportunities.
“Coach was saying that she wanted me to bring the ball up more so Macey could get off [the ball] and create for herself more so I was just like, ‘Okay,’ and went with it,” Burpo said.
The game was already over by the fourth quarter as both teams emptied their benches with five minutes left in the game. The Murray State starters were all smiles as they watched teammates such as junior guard G’Torria Swinton and freshman forward Lauren Jackson score late in the fourth quarter.
Burpo said it was great seeing her teammates who do not play a lot be able to get into games and contribute.
“It’s an awesome feeling to see because they always support us so we want to support them,” Burpo said.
Sophomore guard Raegan Blackburn drilled a three-pointer with 30 seconds left to bring the Racers’ score to 100 on the night.
Turner was happy to see her team smiling and celebrating their win after the last couple of rough weeks.
“To see them happy and to see them smile, seeing them enjoying it [and] being able to celebrate with them after the game, that’s everything,” Turner said.
Five Racers scored in double figures, with Hawthorne leading the way with 21 points as well as a career-high in rebounds with 14. Burpo scored 17 points and had a double-double, but with 10 assists rather than rebounds, although she finished with five of those as well.
“The rise of her game has been one of the bright spots of this season and to see her take it to the next level,” Turner said. “She’s gonna go out and give you everything she’s got. She’s not going to be the most talented kid on the floor but she’s going to be the kid with the biggest heart.”
Sophomore guard Lex Mayes also contributed 17 points and continued her hot shooting from behind the arc (5-10 3PT). Turley notched her first double-double of her career with 15 points and 10 assists, as well as five rebounds.
Turner knows how important these next 10 games are for the team and that this win is about gaining momentum and confidence to carry on with them throughout the remaining season.
“Hopefully in this stretch, we can continue to work and we can continue to grow together chemistry-wise and claw our way back into this,” Turner said. “That’s the whole purpose of these last 10 games.”
Murray State will look to win its third OVC matchup of the season when they take on Eastern Illinois at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30, at the CFSB Center.
