Jackrabbits run away from Racers, 91-60
WBB: Haven Ford scored 17 points to lead Murray State in scoring
South Dakota State beat Murray State, 91-60, Tuesday night in Brookings, South Dakota. Here’s what you need to know:
With the loss, the Racers fall to 1-1 on the season
Haven Ford led the Racers with 17 points
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks was the only other Racer who scored in double-figures with 14 points
Brooklyn Meyer led South Dakota State with 24 points on 11-of-14 shooting
The Jackrabbits shot 57.6% from the field, whole scoring 56 points in the paint
Murray State will play their home-opener Saturday night at 7:00pm against Saint Louis
South Dakota State shows why they’re the best mid-major in the country
After making the NCAA Tournament in 13 of the last 17 years, South Dakota showcased why they will likely be headed back this season. The Jackrabbits dominated inside with 56 points points in the paint on their way to the 31-point win. Behind Brooklyn Meyer’s 24 points, four other SDSU players scored in double-figures.
Taking an 11-point lead into the 4th quarter, the Jackrabbits made eight-straight shots down the stretch to win going away.
Racers had 20 good minutes against the SDSU
Murray State struggled shooting the ball all night, but held up well defensively early, as they led 15-10 after the first quarter. In fact, the odd quarters were the best for the Racers. Between the first and third quarters, Murray State outscored South Dakota State, 41-38. Unfortunately for the Racers, in the even quarters, the Jackrabbits outscored them 53-19.
The Racers shot just 29.2% from the field, their worst shooting night since February 25, 2023 when they only made 25.0% from the floor against Northern Iowa. Murray State also struggled from behind the line, making just 5-of-29 from three-point range. The Racers have made just five three-pointers in each of the last two games. It’s the first time the team has made five or fewer threes in back to back games since the final contests of the 2023-24 season.
Despite being outsized, Racers battle on the boards
In the end, Murray State was outrebounded 44-39 against the bigger Jackrabbits, but the Racers did hold their own on the glass overall. Keslyn Secrist led the team with nine boards, the third-most in a game in her career. Sharnecce Currie-Jelks finished the night with eight herself. The Racers were able to turn 15 offensive rebounds into 20 second chance points.
Finally, the Racers return home
After opening the season with two games on the road, Murray State will return to the friendly confines of the CFSB Center Saturday night for the home opener against Saint Louis. The game will be the third piece to a tripleheader for Murray State Athletics on Saturday. The Racer Football team will play North Dakota at Stewart Stadium at 11:00am; the Racer Men’s Basketball team will host Nicholls at 4:30pm; followed by Murray State’s women hosting SLU at 7:00pm at The Bank.