THURSDAY'S SCORES
@Missouri 69,
Murray State 55
@Mississippi State 69, Jacksonville State 54
MISSOURI 69, MURRAY STATE 55
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Murray State women’s basketball team fought every step of the way in Thursday night’s game at Missouri, but in the end the Tigers proved to be too much for the Racers and put an end to MSU’s seven game win-streak with a 69-55 victory at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
The Racers (7-4) matched the Tigers (11-2) blow-for-blow in the first half, never allowing Mizzou to take more than a five point lead in the half. In fact, the Racers enjoyed the largest lead of the frame whey they took a six-point advantage with 10:06 remaining in the first. However, from that point on the Tigers went on a 13-6 run to end the frame and take a 29-28 lead into the locker room at the half.
Out of the break, Mizzou came out hot and went on a 7-0 run to push the lead to 36-28. As in the first half, the Racers would not go quietly and answered with their own 8-0 run to tie the game at 36.
With the game tied, Missouri went on to score 15 of the next 20 points to take a 10-point lead with 12:20 to play. However, one again, the Racers would not go away.
The Racers reeled off the next seven points to cut to the lead to three, thanks to baskets from freshmen Erika Sisk and Kelsey Dirks and a three from junior Erica Burgess. Despite their intensity and drive, that would be as close as the Racers would get to MU on the evening, eventually falling by 14.
Sisk led MSU on the night with 18 points, with exactly half coming by way of the 3-pointer. Dirks was the only other Racer to finish in double-digits, ending the game with 11 and a team-high seven rebounds. Senior Liz Smith of Missouri led all scorers in the game with 19 and also notched the game’s only double-double with 11 boards.
The Racers will now take 10 days off for the holidays, before returning to action on the final day of 2012. Murray State will open OVC play on New Year’s Eve when they host Eastern Kentucky at the CFSB Center at 1 p.m.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 69 JACKSONVILLE STATE 54
STARKVILLE, Miss. - A valiant Jacksonville State effort and a career night outing for Miranda Cantrell came up short in JSU's 69-54 loss at Mississippi State on Thursday night at MSU's Humphrey Coliseum.
The loss wraps up Jax State's non-conference schedule and the 12th loss of the season. MState moved to 6-5 on the season.
Cantrell established a new career high in the scoring column with 15 points and matched her career high with six rebounds. Against Samford earlier this season, the College Park, Ga.-post player tallied 12 points. Cantrell in 29 minutes, also a career high, made 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from the free throw line. She also was credited with a pair of blocks and steals.
Cantrell aided The Gamecocks as the they got off to one of their best starts of the season as they opened up their largest lead of the season against the Bulldogs with a 12-point, 23-11 lead after a Destany McLin basket at the 8:03 mark. Cantrell turned in eight of her 12 points in the first 20 minutes.
After the fast start, MState limited the Gamecocks to points at the free throw line as they went cold from the field in the final 8:03 of the first half. The first 20 minutes were marred by fouls and turnovers as both teams whistled for 25 fouls and both teams had 31 combined miscues. Jax State finished the contest with 35 turnovers, the second-highest of the season as another Southeastern Conference foe, Alabama forced 38 JSU turnovers.
The 12-point JSU advantage was depleted in the final eight minutes of the half as MSU evened the contest at 24-all at the 3:54 mark. The Bulldogs finished the half on an 8-4 scoring run to take a 32-28 lead in to the halftime break.
MSU continued the run in the second half with a scoring run to push the lead out to as many as 17 points at 54-37 with 9:34 left in the contest. Jax State would trim the lead down to 12 points on multiple occasions in the final three minutes.
Senior Amanda McCarthy finished with nine points and matched her career high with five rebounds. Freshman Destany McLin pitched in eight points and four steals before fouling out of the contest. Gia Bnaks, who has contributed on the boards off the bench, led all Gamecocks on the boards with eight.
MSU's Shamia Robinson came off the bench to post a 17-point, 10-point double-double. Kendra Grant finished with 15 points, including 13 points in the second half.
After the Gamecocks break for the Christmas holiday, they return to action and the Pete Mathews Coliseum against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Dec. 29 in the Ohio Valley Conference opener. Tip off is set for 2 p.m