(EVANSVILLE)-Murray State began its Missouri Valley Conference schedule with a commanding 90-80 triumph over Evansville on Monday evening in Indiana, highlighted by Haven Ford eclipsing the 1,000-point plateau for her career, becoming just the 22nd Racer to accomplish the feat.
The visiting Racers improved to 10-2 overall and 1-0 in league action behind exceptional performances from multiple players. Halli Poock paced all scorers with 29 points while demonstrating remarkable efficiency at the free-throw line, connecting on 14 of her 16 attempts. Ford, who reached the significant career scoring benchmark during the contest, contributed 19 points and was flawless in her 11 trips to the charity stripe.
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks provided a complete effort with 19 points and a game-leading 14 rebounds, shooting an impressive 8-of-12 from the field. Keslyn Secrist joined her teammates in double figures by adding 10 points to Murray State’s balanced attack.
The game was deadlocked at 39-39 heading into halftime before the Racers seized control in the third quarter. Murray State overwhelmed the Purple Aces during that decisive period, establishing a 28-11 advantage that proved insurmountable. The Racers’ dominance at the free-throw line was a defining factor throughout, as they converted 36 of 43 attempts for an 83.7 percent success rate.
Evansville, now 2-11 overall and 0-2 in conference competition, received a strong individual performance from Camryn Runner, who totaled 20 points and distributed nine assists. However, the Purple Aces committed 14 turnovers that Murray State converted into 22 points while also generating 22 fast-break points.
The Racers accumulated 34 points in the paint and dominated the boards through Currie-Jelks’ effort, which included 12 defensive rebounds. The victory extended Murray State’s winning streak to eight consecutive games and marked their 11th straight Missouri Valley Conference triumph dating back to the previous season.
Murray State returns to action at home on Friday as they will take on the Redbirds of Illinois State (7-6, 1-1). Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
