Murray State handles Trevecca, 102-61
WBB: The Racers win their lone exhibition game ahead of Friday's season opener
Murray State beat Trevecca, 102-61, Monday night in an exhibition game at the CFSB Center. Here’s what you need to know:
The Racers will open their season at Southern Indiana on Friday night
Eight Racers played between 21 and 25 minutes
Haven Ford led Murray State in scoring with 22 points
Halli Poock (20 points), Sharnecce Currie-Jelks (17 points), Keslyn Secrist (14 points) and Brax Baker (13 points) each scored in double-figures for the Racers
Murray State only turned it over eight times
The Racers turned 20 Trevecca turnovers into 24 points
The Racers got what they needed out of this one
In an exhibition game against a Division II team, the expectation for the Racers was to dominate Trevecca, and, for the most part, they did just that. Rechelle Turner was able to distribute the minutes pretty evenly between her top eight players, while Gabby Spink and Cam Hoover each played eight minutes. The Racers shot 53.2% from the field, and knocked down 11-of-25 three-pointers.
There is always room for improvement
Murray State’s defense in the first and third quarters was certainly not where Turner would have hoped. In a strange coincidence, in the odd quarters, Trevecca made 18-of-27 (66.7%) shots from the field, 4-of-7 three-pointers, and they scored 42 total points. In the even quarters, the Racers responded by holding Trevecca to 8-for-31 (25.8%) from the field, 2-for-14 from three, and just 19 total points.
You can never get too worked up one way or the other in an exhibition game with coaches on both sides tinkering with lineups and not always being overly concerned with the scoreboard, but the defense in the first and third quarters will certainly be a point of emphasis in the film room this week.
Next up: A trip to Evansville to play Southern Indiana
Last season, USI came to the CFSB Center and beat the Racers on Education Day, in a loss that provided an early fork-in-the-road moment for a Murray State team that ultimately won a championship. The Racers will play the Screaming Eagles at 5:00pm on Friday afternoon.