Josh Embry
Sports Editor
Murray State women’s basketball was able to secure its first and only OVC road win of the regular season as it defeated SIUE 70-61 on Saturday, Feb. 22.
The Racers have had a lack of depth all season, with this game being even more so as the team’s leading scorer and ball handler, sophomore guard Macey Turley, sat out with a knee injury.
Head Coach Rechelle Turner reassured the team before tipoff that no matter the outcome of the game, they would be alright as long as they compete and give themselves a chance to win.
“The last thing I said to them before we took the floor was, ‘Win, lose or draw, we are okay,’” Turner said. “‘We are going to go out there and we are going to have the opportunity to play the game we love and we are going to give our best effort.’”
Both teams started the game slowly offensively, as only 10 points were scored between them in the first six minutes. Murray State ended the quarter on a 10-3 run to win the quarter 16-11.
Junior forward Laci Hawthorne dominated the opening period offensively and on the glass, as she scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds in just seven minutes of play.
The second quarter saw both teams’ offensive struggles intensify as the Racers and Cougars shot only 29.4% and 26.7%, respectively. At the half, Murray State held a 32-25 lead.
The third quarter emphasized the Racers’ lack of ball handlers as they turned the ball over nine times and saw their seven-point lead be cut to four points midway through the quarter. After exchanging runs, Murray State entered the fourth quarter with a three-point lead.
The fourth quarter saw both teams step up offensively, with the Racers shooting 50% overall and converting 13-of-14 free throws while SIUE was able to score 19 points. However, the Cougars were never able to cut into Murray State’s lead, and the Racers cruised to a nine-point victory.
With Turley’s absence, the Racers knew players needed to step up and no one did so more than Hawthorne. She finished with 20 points (8-14 FG) and was a collector of the boards throughout the game, grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds to go along with two assists and two steals.
Freshman forward Macie Gibson had a well-rounded game as she scored 13 points, three assists and was one rebound shy of a double-double. Sophomore guard Lex Mayes went a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final quarter, eventually finishing with 12 points, two assists and three steals.
Sophomore guard Raegan Blackburn, who replaced Turley in the starting lineup, did what she was recruited to do when she came to Murray State: shoot threes. Blackburn nailed four triples and provided an offensive spark for the team. She had two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Junior guards G’Torria Swinton and Ashley Hunter provided valuable minutes off the bench, as Swinton scored five points in the first half and Hunter showed off her passing ability as she dished out three assists in just five minutes of play.
Sophomore forward Alexis Burpo accepted the challenge of Turley’s absence and took over the primary ball handling duties. Though she had six turnovers, Burpo contributed eight points, nine rebounds and two assists.
Turner said it was odd for Burpo to not share the floor with Turley this game.
“Alexis only knows one gear, so of course she goes, goes, goes,” Turner said. “You just got to understand that’s who she is and that’s what she knows. She is used to going as fast as she can and creating for others. I know there were a lot of times she was looking around like, ‘Where is she?’ and that’s easy to do.”
Turner had nothing but positive words to say about Burpo’s increased responsibility and the improvement she has made this season.
“Just an outstanding and gutsy job by her and she’s just a kid that will do anything for you and for her team,” Turner said. “I couldn’t be more proud of who she has become this year not only as a basketball player, but as a confident young woman and that’s going to really pay dividends going forward for us.”
SIUE was led by freshman forward Mikayla Kinnard, who scored a career-high 24 points along with eight rebounds and three assists. Sophomore guard Mikia Keith (nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals) and junior guard Allie Troeckler (eight points and six rebounds) rounded out the top scorers for the Cougars.
With the win, Murray State maintains the eighth spot in the OVC standings with two games left in the season. The Racers remain one game behind Austin Peay in the standings and are tied with Morehead State with a 6-10 conference record but own the tiebreaker between the two teams.
Murray State returns home to take on EKU at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the CFSB Center. Turner knows how important homecourt advantage will be for the team’s preparation and focus going into Thursday’s game.
“We have to get these kids home and get them some rest and then try to go to the drawing board and see what we are going to try to do against Eastern Kentucky,” Turner said. “The only thing on our mind is trying to put these players in the best position to win and we will be at home. We draw a lot of energy at home and it will give us more time to come together as a staff to get more things in place to help our players.”
