Jakob Milani
Staff Writer
jmilani@murraystate.edu
It was a close game in Terre Haute, Indiana, Saturday, Dec. 5, when the Murray State Racers battled against the Indiana State Sycamores.
Both teams fought till the end, with the Sycamores winning by a score of 84-80 thanks to their disruptive defense and advantage on the boards.
The game started off slow for the Racers, going down by as much as 14 in the first quarter and shooting 5-14 from the field. Indiana State was firing at will, knocking down its first 11-19 attempts and taking a 26-16 lead into the second quarter.
The Racers were able to come back in the second quarter, making five of their first seven shots in the first 3:30. Rebounding for Murray State has been a key factor in success early on this season and continued to be the case against the Sycamores. The Racers grabbed 13 rebounds in the second quarter.
Freshman forward Kaitlyn Young and junior guard Macey Turley lead the way for the Racers in the first half, with Young scoring 14 and Turley scoring 15 and going 3-3 from three-point-range.
However, Indiana State’s defense proved to be an issue, forcing the Racers to turn the ball over eight times in the second quarter and shut down their inside scoring in the first half. This allowed the Sycamores to head into the locker room holding onto a 42-37 lead.
The foul number continued to climb for both teams in the third quarter and Murray State had trouble capitalizing on their free throws, making just 7-10 from the charity stripe. But the Racers kept it close, finishing the quarter trailing by just three points.
Indiana State managed to out rebound the Racers in the third, pulling down 11 rebounds compared to Murray State’s seven rebounds. This proved to be crucial, with the Sycamores coming out of the quarter leading 62-59.
It all came down to the fourth quarter, and it was a back-and-forth battle in all 10 minutes.
Murray State took a 65-64 lead with 7:39 left thanks to a layup from senior forward Laci Hawthorne, but the Sycamores defense halted the Racers’ scoring efforts for the next 3:27.
While the Racers fought till the very end, their efforts were not enough as Indiana State walked away victorious thanks to their strong defense and rebounding advantage. These stats propelled them to an 84-80 win over the Racers.
The Racers finished with only two players in double figures. Young finished with 27 points in the game, shooting 11-14 from the field and 1-1 from three. Young also led the team in rebounds with 12, nine of which were on the defensive end.
Turley finished the game with 17 points, going 3-5 on three pointers and making both free throws that she attempted. Turley also had four steals, four assists and two rebounds.
The Racers handled the ball poorly, turning it over 21 times while Indiana State only had 14 turnovers. Murray State also had trouble keeping the Sycamores from grabbing offensive boards. Indiana State finished 17 offensive rebounds, which led to 19 second-chance points.
The loss moves the Racers to a 1-2 record as they look to win their next game when they take on Mississippi Valley State University at the CFSB Center on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 4:30 p.m.