(CORALVILLE, Ia.)-The Murray State Racers, riding a historic season as the No. 1 ranked team in the CollegeInsider.com Top 25 Mid-Major poll, swept the major Missouri Valley Conference individual awards Wednesday, with four Racers and head coach Rechelle Turner all earning top honors.
Poock Makes History with Player of the Year Nod
Junior guard Halli Poock became the first Murray State Racer ever to be named the MVC Jackie Stiles Player of the Year, presented by Great Southern Bank — and the numbers make it easy to see why.
Poock leads the entire league in scoring, averaging 22.2 points per game overall and a blistering 25.5 points in conference play. She has topped 20 points in 17 of 20 league games this season and leads the Valley with six 30-plus-point performances. Nationally, she ranks 11th in Division I in both scoring average and total points, with 688 on the year — good for 13th in MVC single-season history.
Currie-Jelks the Only Double-Double Machine in the Valley
Teammate Sharnecce Currie-Jelks earned MVC Newcomer of the Year honors after putting together one of the most dominant stat lines in the conference. The junior is the only player in the MVC averaging a double-double, posting 18.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. She recorded double-doubles in 16 conference games, including eight consecutive to close the regular season.
Currie-Jelks leads all of Division I with 24 double-doubles on the season and ranks sixth nationally with 364 total rebounds — eighth most in a single season in Valley history.
Ford Earns Dual Recognition on Second Team and All-Defensive Team
Junior Haven Ford added to Murray State’s award haul with a pair of honors of her own, earning spots on both the MVC Second Team and the All-Defensive Team. Ford’s recognition on the defensive squad underscores the Racers’ identity as one of the most complete teams in the mid-major landscape this season.
Turner Earns First Conference Coach of the Year Honor
Head coach Rechelle Turner was voted MVC Coach of the Year for the first time in her
tenure after guiding the Racers to their second consecutive conference regular season title — and first outright championship — with a remarkable 19-1 league record.
Murray State entered this week’s MVC Tournament with a 28-3 overall record, a program record for wins for the second straight year.
