The Racers won their fourth consecutive game Monday night at the Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tenn. against OVC rival Tennessee Tech.
The game was the first time Murray State (13-7, 6-3 OVC) has played Tennessee Tech since the OVC tournament, where the Golden Eagles came out victorious and went on to win the championship.
A particularly accurate Murray State offense shifted the outcome, with the Racers shooting for season-high of 48.1 percent from the floor. Currently, it is the highest shooting percentage they have had against a Division-I team.
Led by senior guard Mariah Robinson with 16 points, three assists and a steal, the Racers stayed strong from the first minutes of the game. Freshman guard Erika Sisk followed closely with 12 points.
Junior forward Jessica Winfrey dominated the defensive side of the ball, racking up 14 rebounds and two steals.
Opening the game on a 9-0 run, Murray State began and maintained the lead for the entire game. The Golden Eagles never led or tied the game, struggling to keep up with an aggressive offense in the paint.
Senior guard Tessa Elkins defined the first half for the Racers with two turnovers and the first points on the board with a 3-point shot.
The Racers led by as many as 20 in the game and maintained a strong lead in the double digits every time the Golden Eagles tried to formulate an offensive run.
Coming back on the court after halftime, the Racers maintained poise and started off on a high note with another 3-pointer by Elkins.
The tempo stayed quick for both teams with depth in substitutions. Murray State had 13 players see the court, 10 of them putting numbers on the scoreboard.
The Golden Eagles struggled all but in the final minutes of play, scoring seven more points in the final 1:30 of the second half. A final jumper by Tennessee Tech guard Diamond Henderson was made with 20 seconds left of play. Despite their final effort to earn a chance for the victory, the Racers finished with a final score of 68-52
The Racers will return to Murray to face Austin Peay on Feb. 2 at 2:15 p.m. in the CFSB Center.
Story by Carly Besser, Staff writer.