Though conference play starts in late December, it’s never too early to take a peek at how the Missouri Valley Conference portion of the schedule will shape up for the Racer women’s basketball team.
After struggling against conference foes last year, Murray State is looking to have a bounce back year. In 20 games against conference opponents, the Racers went 7-13 in their first year in The Valley.
With room for improvement, the new style of play that Murray State has implemented might be the change that was needed to survive in the MVC.
The first conference game of the year comes at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 as Murray State hosts Valparaiso. This will be the lone meeting between the two teams in the regular season this year. The Racers won both matchups in the 2022-23 season.
Murray State hosts Bradley at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4. They will travel to Peoria, Illinois to play Bradley in the final game of the regular season on Saturday, March 9 at a time TBA. Murray State won big over Bradley, beating them 83-48 in the only meeting between the two teams last season.
Illinois State will travel to Murray to play in the CFSB Center at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6. They will then host the Racers on Thursday, March 7 at a time TBA. Illinois State won two very close games over Murray State last season. One of those games was a 75-73 win in the postseason to advance and end the Racers’ season.
Murray State and Indiana State will clash twice this season, the first matchup will be in Terre Haute, Indiana on Jan. 11 at a time TBA. The Racers will host the Sycamores at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 3. Murray State lost both games last season against Indiana State.
The Aces of Evansville host the Racers on Sunday, Jan. 14 at a time TBA, and the Racers will host the Aces at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 1. The season series was 1-1 last season as both teams were able to pick up a home win. The Racers won big in the postseason against the Aces, winning the opening game of the tournament 88-46.
The Northern Iowa Panthers host Murray State on Friday, Jan. 19 at a time TBA and will play in the CFSB Center at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17. The Panthers won big in both of the matchups against the Racers in the 2022-23 season.
The Racers will travel to play the Drake Bulldogs on Sunday, Jan. 21 at a time TBA. The two teams will meet again at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15 in Murray. The Racers lost both games to the Bulldogs last season.
The Southern Illinois Salukis will play the Racers at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26. Murray State will travel to Carbondale, Illinois in the second matchup of the season between the two teams on Friday, Feb. 9 at a time TBA. The Salukis and Racers each picked up a win over one another to make the regular season series 1-1 last season.
Missouri State comes to Murray to play at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 28 and the pair of teams will play once more in Springfield, Missouri on Sunday, Feb. 11 at a time TBA. Missouri State won both games against Murray State last season.
Belmont will host Murray State on Saturday, Feb. 3 at a time TBA. The Racers will host the Bruins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25. The Bruins and Racers each won a game in the pair of matchups from last season.
The only meeting between the Racers and the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Flames will be in Chicago, Illinois where the two teams play on Thursday, Feb. 22 at a time TBA. The Racers split the regular season series with the Flames last year 1-1.
If the Racers can apply what they learned in their first year in The Valley, improvement should be noticeable. Even if it isn’t an instant turnaround, Murray State basketball seems to be heading in the right direction.
With last year heavily on this roster’s mind, there is a chip on the shoulder of this year’s Racers. They know they can compete with the rest of the conference. Now, it’s about showing everyone else that this is the case.
