Story by Gage Johnson, staff writer
Murray State finished their final homestand of the season with a 80-73 win over Tennessee Tech on senior night.
With the Racers tied for eighth in the OVC and the Golden Eagles two games behind for the eighth spot heading into their final games of the season, this game was crucial in the hunt to qualify for the conference tournament.
Senior guard Mary Jones, senior guard Ke’Shunan James, senior forward Bria Bethea, and senior guard Jasmine Borders were commemorated before the game on Murray State’s senior night.
The Racers got off to a good start in the first quarter of play. Jones started it off with a three, a steal, and a rebound for Murray State. Gulledge then followed suit with seven-straight points of her own. Tennessee Tech managed to stay within distance in the first and ended the quarter at 18-11.
Second chance points was a big factor for both teams throughout the night. Murray State had ten of them early on, which helped them get out to an early lead. Towards the end of the half, though, it became Tennessee Tech that was crashing the boards and earning second chance points. They heated up, but the Racers stayed consistent and headed into the locker room leading 38-29.
James had played well throughout for Murray State. She ended the first half with 18 points, and she picked up where she left off in the second half of play.
With Tennessee Tech coming back, she continued to get to the rim and score or convert on free throws. James went 10-for-13 at the charity stripe, and helped the Racers go on a fourth-quarter run to win the game.
James ended the game with an astounding 37-point total, while Gulledge and Bethea also recorded double figures. Murray State was able to claim the conference win over Tennessee Tech 80-73. The win puts them at 10-17 overall, and 6-10 in OVC play.
“I was impressed with my team tonight,” said head coach Rechelle Turner. “I thought there were plenty of opportunities for us to get down and do some of the same things we’ve done in the past and lose games. I think for the first time we collectively caught our breath, and did what we had to do to get the win.”
They now hit the road for their final two games of the season. The first of two comes against Eastern Illinois at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, in Charleston, Illinois.