Story by Gage Johnson
Senior writer
gjohnson17@murraystate.edu
With holidays come and gone, tough non-conference contests played and money games completed, it can mean only one thing: It’s OVC basketball time.
Murray State women’s basketball replicated its 2017-2018 non-conference start by going 4-7 to start the season. While the record may not show it, the program, led by Head Coach Rechelle Turner’s first recruiting class, has taken a massive leap from a season ago.
Tough non-conference opponents
The Racers took on the likes of the University of Illinois, No. 16 University of Kentucky, No. 10 University of Tennessee and Butler University in one of the toughest non-conference slates in recent memory.
While Murray State didn’t come out on top in these games, Turner knows just how crucial those games were to the team’s growth.
“I know an outsider looking in may not be able to see it, but the growth of our team through those games has been amazing,” Turner said. “The maturity, the willingness to have your backs against the wall and come out and fight and push through that adversity is only going to make us better.”
While all but one of their losses this season has been by double digits, in the four Racers victories they have had a 38.5 average margin of victory.
Adebayo and Crane have succeeded in filling the post presence role
Junior forward Evelyn Adebayo has been as good advertised for Turner in her first season after transferring from Gardner Webb University.
Averaging 18.7 PPG and 9.8 RPG with a slew of double-doubles along the way, Adebayo has won four OVC Newcomer of the Week awards as well as two Conference Player of the Week awards.
“Evelyn has just shown what we’ve known Evelyn can do all along,” Turner said. “I said when the season started that no one would know who Evelyn is and they know who she is now. She’s proven herself and it just goes to show hard work pays off. Her growth and her ability to lead us and be a big presence on the inside has been something I feel like has helped our younger guards improve because they know they have somewhere to go when they need a basket.”
Sophomore forward Briana Crane has also held her own in the paint for the Racers this season. While her stats may have not increased much from last season, with the addition of Adebayo, Crane has improved in all aspects of her game by focusing on what might not show up in the stat sheet. With the loss of freshman forward Macie Gibson to a season-ending injury, this has been more crucial than ever.
“Gibson was a big loss for us and we had to revamp some things,” Turner said. Crane is really stepping up and being the player I need her to be. She’s giving extra effort, making the little plays, getting some points here and there and getting some rebounds. Her and Evelyn work well together, so I’ve been really pleased with her progress.”
“In five I trust.”
This is a theory Turner stated earlier this season, and has stood by even going back to her high school coaching days with now Murray State freshman guard Macey Turley.
Turley has been the shining star of the freshman class so far this season. As the only other Racer averaging double figures with 11.7 PPG to go along with 5.5 apg, Turley has won three OVC Freshman of the Week awards.
Hitting the record reset button
After a tough non-conference schedule that has left Murray State winless on the road to this point, Turner has stressed it’s time to turn over a new leaf for this part of the season for her players.
“This is an opportunity to start fresh,” Turner said. “We’ve been talking all along how we’re chopping wood and carrying water. Working hard everyday, and watering the bamboo to get it ready for the true battle and the true battle starts Thursday.
The Racers will start out conference play at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 3, against Morehead State University at the CFSB, fully prepared to prove their last-place preseason prediction wrong.
“To have our team where we are right now going into conference play, I’m very confident that we’re going to be able to prove people wrong. We’re going to be the underdog every game we play because we were picked last in the conference, but I think that’s a good place for this team to be because they showed me the last couple of weeks that when they get pushed they push back. We’re going to go out every single game and prove people wrong.”