Story by Gage Johnson
Senior Writer
gjohnson17@murraystate.edu
While all eyes were on the men’s basketball matchup at 8 p.m., fans that arrived early saw a show between the Murray State women’s basketball team and the defending OVC Champion Belmont women’s basketball team.
The two went down to the wire, but a quartet of Bruins notched double figures en route to a 75-68 victory over the Racers.
It was a back-and-forth affair in the first quarter of play, with Preseason OVC Player of the Year and senior guard Darby Maggard kicking things off for Belmont with a layup. Freshman guard Lex Mayes answered with a three, thus starting the game-long battle.
Flash forward to the second quarter, the Racers go toe-to-toe with the Bruins until 0-for-4 shooting from three hindered Murray State. Belmont jumped at the chance to take a commanding lead, going on a 14-4 run for the last five minutes of the first half. Maggard tagged on eight points during the run, taking the Bruins into the locker room with a 37-27 lead.
With 7:51 left in the third quarter Belmont held its largest lead at 43-29, but the Racers came right back at the Bruins to cut their deficit to five going into the fourth quarter.
“There was a time at one point in the third quarter they could’ve buried us, but our kids just kept fighting back possession after possession,” said Head Coach Rechelle Turner. “I think that shows a lot of growth and maturity.”
While both teams struggled to shoot in the fourth quarter, a three from sophomore guard Janika Griffith-Wallace cut the Bruins lead to three with two minutes to play. Freshman guard Macey Turley would attack the lane with just over a minute to play, only to find the outstretched arms of senior guard Roy Jenny there to block her shot.
Jenny would go to the line only to miss both, but then have junior forward Ellie Harmeyer snag the offensive rebound. From there on, Belmont would go on to sink their free throws and silence the Racers offensively, walking away with a 65-58 victory.
Murray State has struggled keeping possession this season, averaging 17.2 tpg. However, against the Bruins some changes offensively led to only eight turnovers.
“It’s been such a point of emphasis,” Turner said. “Because every time we turn the ball over we don’t get an opportunity to shoot the basketball. We’re struggling to score so much that we have to have extra possessions.”
Turner was upset with the little things in how the game ended, but she is excited for the progress they’ve made going forward.
“We’re down three, come down the floor, don’t have a good offensive possession, go down, they draw the foul, miss both free throws, and we don’t block out,” Turner said. “It’s just the little things as a coach that makes my hair grayer and grayer by the minute. But I believe in these kids and they believe in each other. The results aren’t what we want, and I don’t know when those are going to come, but the process is moving in the right direction.”
Following the loss, the Racers will round out their two-game homestand against Tennessee State (1-18, 1-6). Tip-off will be at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26, at the CFSB Center.