Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Tennessee Tech
Racers Fall 77-61 at Tennessee Tech
1/15/2011 9:11:14 PM | Women's Basketball
Box Score
The Racers (5-12, 1-6 OVC) were led by a trio of players in double digits. Sophomore Mariah Robinson tallied 19 points and three rebounds for MSU, while sophomore Tessa Elkins garnered a career-best 13 points and added four rebounds. Red-shirt freshman Jessica Winfrey contributed 11 points and a team-best eight rebounds.
The first half started as a back-and-forth battle, with both teams going on early runs and then trading baskets. The Golden Eagles (12-4, 6-1 OVC) went on an opening 4-0 run before the Racers followed with a 6-0 run in the first four minutes of the game. Both teams then used strong defense and held each other scoreless for several stretches in the half before TTU started an 11-2 run that gave them the advantage for the rest of the half. The Golden Eagles extended their advantage to as many as 10 points in the half and headed into the locker room with a 33-23 lead.
TTU opened the second half much like the first, with a 5-0 run and never allowed the Racers to close the gap. The Golden Eagles extended their lead to as many as 25 points before MSU fought back to cut the deficit. However, the lead was too much to overcome and TTU earned the victory.
Despite shooting 47.4 percent from the floor, to the Golden Eagles 43.1, the Racers lost the battle at the free-throw line, making just 3-of-11 shots while TTU made all 15 of their attempts. Turnovers and rebounds were also a key factor in the outcome, with MSU trailing in both categories. The Racers committed 20 turnovers and the Golden Eagles tallied 25 points off those turnovers. TTU also earned a 42-30 advantage on the board, with a 17-10 lead in offensive rebounds.
The Racers will now return home for a weekend OVC series with Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri. MSU will first battle with the Panthers of EIU, Thursday, Jan. 20 at 5:15 p.m. at the CFSB Center.
