(MOREHEAD, Ky.) – The Murray State women’s basketball team rallied from an early deficit to secure an 85-78 road victory over Morehead State at Johnson Arena on Wednesday night.
The Racers improved to 6-2 on the season with the win, while the Eagles dropped to 3-5.
Murray State faced an uphill battle early, finding themselves down 16-11 after the opening quarter. The visitors responded with an offensive surge in the second period, narrowing the gap to trail by just two points at halftime, 41-39.
The Racers seized control in the third quarter and maintained their advantage down the stretch, outpacing the Eagles 25-21 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. The competitive matchup featured numerous momentum swings, with the lead changing hands 11 times and the score knotted on 12 occasions.
Haven Ford delivered an all-around performance to lead Murray State, finishing with a team-high 21 points while contributing six rebounds, six assists, and five steals. The showing was particularly special for Ford, who was playing in her hometown.
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks dominated the paint, notching her sixth double-double of the season with 20 points and a game-leading 14 rebounds. Halli Poock provided valuable support with 15 points, while Keslyn Secrist added 13 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Briley Pena rounded out the starting lineup’s contributions with seven points.
The Racers’ defensive pressure proved crucial, forcing 19 turnovers that they converted into 32 points. Murray State also controlled the boards, holding a 42-34 rebounding advantage that included 12 offensive rebounds.
Superior free-throw shooting helped seal the outcome for the visitors, who connected on 78.9 percent from the charity stripe (15-of-19) compared to Morehead State’s 53.3 percent (8-of-15).
Murray State shot 43.1 percent from the field overall, while Morehead State connected at a 48.4 percent clip. The Eagles held an edge in three-point shooting at 45.5 percent compared to the Racers’ 24.2 percent, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Murray State’s advantages in other areas.
The Racers will return to action on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 PM at F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville as they will face Austin Peay (4-1) for the 100th time in their storied rivalry.
