Story by Gage Johnson
Sports Editor
gjohnson17@murraystate.edu
After a SIUE loss to Jacksonville State, Murray State women’s basketball team cemented its spot in the OVC tournament as the sixth seed with a 77-72 victory over Austin Peay.
The Racers’ lone senior guard Michaela Manley was recognized before the game for her time at Murray State, and also kicked off the game with a three to give them them a lead they held for the rest of the game.
Murray State put the pedal to the metal, jumping out to a 10-0 lead to start out the first quarter. After a response from the Governors, the Racers answered quickly with a 14-2 run going into the second quarter.
With a 23-10 lead, Murray State piggybacked off of prolific three-point shooting and scoring from junior forward Evelyn Adebayo and sophomore guard Janika Griffith-Wallace to a 43-28 lead at halftime. The Racers shot 6-for-10 from beyond the arc, and Griffith-Wallace (14) and Adebayo (12) combined for 26 of their 43.
Trailing 62-49 to kick off the fourth quarter, Austin Peay made a final push to keep Murray State from claiming the sixth seed.
With 3:27 remaining in the game, the Governors made a 6-0 run to cut their deficit to 71-69. The Racers found themselves in this predicament in large part because of 11 turnovers that led to 16 points for Austin Peay.
Leading 72-70 after an Austin Peay free throw, Griffith-Wallace drove right and rose above two defenders to make a floater and give the Racers a 74-70 lead.
Griffith-Wallace’s growth since the beginning of the season has been crucial to Murray State’s success. Head Coach Rechelle Turner knows she can trust her at the helm of the offense when the stakes are high.
“Janika has arrived,” Turner said. “The Janika I know she has been all along has arrived. I’ve wanted her to get to the point where she’s willing to be the hero or the goat, because sometimes I don’t think she’s wanted to do that. But the ego and swag she’s playing with right now, she wants to take that shot. I’m not sure there’s another player on the team right now that I’d rather have the ball in their hands when the game is on the line.”
The Governors wouldn’t go away until the final buzzer, but the floater was the proverbial dagger, leading to a 77-72 Murray State victory.
With the win the Racers enter the postseason as the No. 6 seed in the OVC tournament. This comes after the team was projected to finish last in the conference. Turner understands why they were voted 12th in the OVC in the preseason, but knew that her squad was capable of exceeding those expectations.
“One thing we talked about all year long was proving people wrong,” Turner said. “When somebody puts you last, you have to have a chip on your shoulder. I think that fueled the fire a little bit. It allowed us to really push them and our kids stepped up to the challenge. We’re proud to finish sixth, but we’re not done yet.”
Murray State will take on the No. 3 seed UT Martin in the opening round of the OVC Tournament on Thursday, March 7, at 3 p.m. at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.