SUNDAY'S SCORES
Murray Sate 69, @Memphis 59
Chattanooga 76, @Austin Peay 66
Milwaukee 85, @SIU Edwardsville 60
MURRAY STATE 69, MEMPHIS 59
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Murray State women's basketball team claimed its second win, in as many games, with a 69-59 victory at Memphis in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The win is just the third in the all-time series with the Tigers (0-2) and the second in Memphis, Tenn.
The Racers (2-0) were led by senior Mallory Luckett, who tallied her first career double-double with career bests 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Lousiville, Ky., native also added eight assists and four steals, both career highs. Freshman Mariah Robinson was also in double-digits in the scoring column for MSU, with 11 points.
The Racers kept up the defensive intensity that they opened the season with at Alabama A&M. MSU held the Tigers scoreless on their first three possessions and tallied six points of their own before Memphis got on the board. Robinson opened the scoring for the Racers with a three-pointer from the right side 58 seconds into the game. The Tigers were finally able to get a on the board with 17:18 left in the first half after six shot attempts.
Memphis then turned up the intensity and went on a 5-0 run to cut the MSU lead to one point. Both teams struggled to score a field goal for a two-minute span (16:44-14:33), with the Racers the first to break the streak at 14:33. MSU then kept the Tigers from scoring a field goal until 12:49 with Memphis gaining only one point during the span at the free-throw line. The Racers extended their lead to eight (13-5), with a 7-0 run.
MSU kept the defensive pressure up throughout the half, not allowing the Tigers to get above nine points on the scoreboard until there was 8:03 left to play. The Racers had tallied 23 points by that point, for a 14-point advantage. The teams traded baskets for the next five minutes before the Tigers started a 4-0 run with three minutes left to cut the lead to less than 10 points, 32-24. Both teams scored just two points each in the final two minutes of the half and the Racers took a 34-26 lead into the locker room.
MSU had a strong performance in the opening 20-minutes of action, shooting 50 percent (13-of-26) from the field and 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from beyond the arc. The Racers also held the Tigers to 36.4 percent shooting (12-of-33) and a 16.7 percent mark (1-of-6) from three-point range. MSU was out-rebounded by three, but earned a 14-12 advantage on the defensive side.
Similar to the start of the first half the Racers held the Tigers without a point until 17:26 remained in the game. MSU tallied four points during the span to increase its lead back to double digits. The Racers held at least a 10-point lead until 16:15 remained in the half after Memphis went on a 4-0 run. Memphis cut its deficit to nine points over the next three minutes, before MSU started a 7-0 run in a 1:30 span to increase its lead to 16 (50-34). The Tigers were not done fighting and cut the lead to six points (51-45), with an 11-1 run of their own in a five-minute span. Memphis picked up the defensive pressure during the span forcing four turnovers and not recording any of their own.
The teams then battled for the final seven minutes of the game, but the Tigers could not cut their deficit to less than six points and the Racers claimed the 69-59 victory.
MSU had a strong shooting day, hitting 45.7 percent (21-of-46) of their shots and a 53.3 percent (8-of-15) mark from beyond the arc. The Racers also had a second strong defensive performance, holding the Tigers to just 31.1 percent (23-of-74) shooting and an 8.3 percent (2-of-24) mark from three-point range.
CHATTANOOGA 76, AUSTIN PEAY 66
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Sophomore Whitney Hanley led all scorers with 22 points but Austin Peay State University women's basketball team dropped its season-opener to Chattanooga, 76-66, Sunday, at the Dunn Center.
Chattanooga (1-1) scored the game's first 10 points as Austin Peay missed its first five field goal attempts. Senior Nicole Jamen broke the drought with a field goal at the 15:47 mark and - after the first media timeout - converted the three-point play. Jamen would later hit a three-point field goal to cut the lead to one point, 10-9, with 14:14 remaining. The Lady Mocs halted the charge as Janaya Wade-Fray scored all four points in a 4-1 run to take a 14-11 advantage.
Austin Peay (0-1) took its first lead of the game with a 10-4 run that lasted four minutes - turning a 20-18 deficit into a 28-24 lead with 5:49 left. Junior Salem Richardson made a pair of field goals and Jamen chipped in four points during the run.
However, APSU would not hold the lead long as Chattanooga scored seven straight points to retake the lead, 31-28, with 3:22 remaining and led by five points, 36-31, at halftime.
The Lady Govs kept the game close through the first 16 minutes of the second half. They had a one-point led, 45-44, with 14:30 remaining and were tied, 54-54, with 10:45 remaining. However, each time Chattanooga responded with a scoring burst. The Lady Mocs closed the game with an 8-2 scoring run over the final 4:10 as Austin Peay went nearly four minutes without a field goal until Jamen scored the game's final basket.
Hanley's 22 points came on 9-of-15 field-goal shooting, including a 3-of-5 outing from behind the arc. Jamen pieced together a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double performance. However, the remainder of the Lady Govs starting five combined to scored 14 points and made just 3-of-18 from the field.
Shanara Hollinquest, the Southern Conference "Preseason Player of the Year," led Chattanooga with 21 points. Kayla Christopher added 13 points and seven assists while Jenaya Wade-Fray scored 14 points.
MILWAUKEE 85, SIU EDWARDSVILLE 60
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Milwaukee improved to 2-0 Sunday with an 85-60 victory over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in women's basketball action at the Vadalabene Center.
SIUE evened its record at 1-1 with the loss. The Cougars shot 26.5 percent from the field and made 4 of 24 from three-point range.
Danielle Bennett scored nine quick points in the first half for the Cougars and ended up the leading scorer with 19 points. She added a game-high nine rebounds.
Jodie McClain led four players in double figures for the Panthers with 19 points. She was followed by 18 from Jenilee Klomstad, 14 from Ashley Imperiale and 13 from Anne Breland.
The Cougars forced 24 turnovers on defense and got a boost when Raven Berry stepped into the game late in the first half. Berry, who was battling an injury that occurred in the Morehead State game, came in and provided an instant boost.
The Cougar freshman scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Freshman guard Courtney Kenner came off the bench for 10 points in 19 minutes played.