After going into halftime with a nine-point lead over the top team in the Missouri Valley Conference, Murray State couldn’t hold off the Drake Bulldogs’ offense any longer, and lost 81-75.
The Racers hosted the Bulldogs on Thursday, Feb. 15 in the second meeting between the two this season. Drake, who won the first matchup 107-98, leads the MVC in team field goal percentage (48%) and rebound margin (7.8). The Racers now fall to 0-2 against Drake this year despite playing them well in both games.
Murray State led at halftime, as they were up 44-33 with one half left to play. In the first half, they shot 16-30 (53%) from the field and forced Drake to shoot just 12-34 (35%) on their shots.
The script flipped in the second half as the Racers shot 13-38 (34%) from the field while the Bulldogs shot 14-25 (56%) in the second half. That momentum change was enough for the Bulldogs to get the win. The Racers had a 72-71 lead with 3:17 to go in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run for the next three minutes to win the game 81-75.
“Every time we made a mistake, they made us pay for it,” Racers Head Coach Rechelle Turner said after the game. “And that’s what good teams do. When they needed a big shot, they made it. And when they needed a big stop, they got it. There’s a reason they’re at the top of this league. However, we’re getting there. I see progress.”
The Racers outrebounded the Bulldogs 40-36 in the loss and both teams had 13 turnovers and 18 assists. Murray State committed more fouls, as they had 23 to Drake’s 11.
The Racers’ bench scored 32 points in the loss. In total, Murray State scored 32 points in the paint, nine points off of turnovers and seven second-chance points. Though both teams had 13 turnovers, the Bulldogs scored 23 points off of turnovers.
“I believe that we can play with anybody,” said redshirt freshman guard Zoe Stewart after the loss. “We can beat anybody every time we step out onto the floor. Any time we lose, it hurts, it doesn’t matter who it is.”
Senior Forward Katelyn Young led the Racers in scoring with her 20 points. Young had 12 rebounds, four assists and a steal. Stewart scored 17 points, grabbed four rebounds and had four assists, as junior forward Ava Learn totaled 10 rebounds, four points, an assist and a block. Both Stewart and Learn came off of the bench.
The Racers fall to 15-7 overall and 8-5 against conference opponents this year after Thursday’s loss. The Racers will now look to turn their focus on their next game that comes at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17 where they will host the Northern Iowa Panthers. If you cannot make it to the game, you can watch it live on ESPN+.
