(PEORIA, Ill.) — Murray State’s women’s basketball team turned a close first-half contest into a blowout Friday night, defeating Bradley 72-40 at the Renaissance Coliseum to improve to 23-3 overall and 14-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
The Racers led by just six points at halftime, 29-23, but a suffocating defensive performance in the second half changed everything. Bradley shot just 11.8% from the field in the third quarter and converted only one of 13 field goal attempts in the fourth, scoring a mere four points. Murray State outscored the Braves 43-17 after the break to seal the 32-point victory — and became the first road team to win at Bradley all season.
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks was the engine of the Racer offense and defense, turning in a near-historic performance with 19 points and 18 rebounds. Haven Ford matched her in the scoring column with 19 points, knocking down three of four attempts from three-point range. Keslyn Secrist rounded out Murray State’s double-figure scorers with 12 points.
The Racers also dominated the physical battle, outrebounding Bradley 55-41 and piling up 36 points in the paint. Maya Foz led the Braves with 17 points, but Bradley (18-9, 11-5 MVC) had no answer for Murray State’s second-half intensity.
The Racers carry a two-game lead over second-place Belmont — with a tiebreaker advantage — and five regular season games remaining in The Valley. They return to action Sunday against Illinois State in Normal, with tip-off set for 2 p.m.
PHOTO-Clay Wagoner, MSU Athletics
