Racers look back at Championship Saturday
WBB: Murray State claimed their first Missouri Valley Conference title at Indiana State
When Katelyn Young announced last April she would return to Murray State for her fifth season, beneath it all was one very simple reason.
“Definitely to win a championship,” Young said, after the Racers beat Indiana State Saturday to clinch the program’s first-ever Missouri Valley Conference regular season title. “Winning on Saturday was awesome and everything, but it's not over yet. We really want to win the tournament championship and be able to go to the NCAA Tournament.”
Murray State entered Saturday tied for the conference lead with Missouri State, and the Racers knew, at worst, if they beat Indiana State, they’d own at least a share of the conference championship. That produced its own sort of nervous energy leading up to the game.
“I feel like everybody was very excited because we knew we had to handle business,” Murray State junior guard Briley Pena said. “Every single time that we've been put under pressure, we've risen to the occasion. I wasn't necessarily too nervous about that. I know the people we have on our team, and I know how good we are. It was just exciting knowing that, ‘We're going to win this game and we're going to be champions, and then we're all going to start crying,’” Pena joked. “It was just exciting. I feel like that whole day was just emotional, but we also went out there and handled business. After the game, it was just like a big old celebration.”
The best part about Murray State’s 109-70 win over Indiana State, was that the large margin of victory allowed the Racers to savor the win in the final minutes after taking that final celebratory walk off the floor.
“Once I came out of the game, and the game was kind of sealed off, it was definitely worth it,” Young said about her decision to come back for a fifth season. “It just kind of takes you back to all the work you've put in over the five years and everything like that. It just kind of hit.”
“The first thing (Head Coach Rechelle) Turner said when she hugged me was, ‘This is why you came here,’” Murray State sophomore guard Halli Poock, who transferred from Bradley after last season, said. “I think that was a big part. Obviously, I wanted to go somewhere that had a chance to win it all, but I think Murray State really just does it in the right way. I think everyone that's part of this program is really good people. It just felt super, super good to do it with these type of people.”
Pena is one of the longest-tenured Racers, as she’s in her third season with the program. After starting 31 games last season, Pena has come off the bench for 26 of 28 games this year. Thriving in her new role, Pena says the three-year journey to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference has meant the world to her.
“I think I'm just very blessed to be along for the ride,” Pena said. “All of us, we've played a part in this. Just to be on this team, to change this program, it's just crazy to me. I'm still, like, ‘We did it!’ I'm very shell-shocked, but it's a blessing. It's bigger than me, but it's just a blessing to be here and see our accomplishments. I try to cherish them because we won't get these games back. We're not going to get this season back with these players, so I try to just cherish every moment, but it's very much a blessing.”
So after the final horn sounded, what was the locker room celebration like? Ava Learn described it one word.
“Insane,” the senior forward said with a laugh. “I kept saying over and over again, ‘I'm so giddy. This is such a fun, amazing feeling. I've never felt this way.’ I know a bunch of the other girls were so excited, because we truly did overcome a lot of obstacles, and we never really let anything get us down for more than a day — because, you know, win the day each day. I'm so proud of the team, because we have had a lot of adversity. There was a lot of big things we knew we had to do and overcome, and we just did it. Like I keep saying, we got the job done. I'm just so proud of this team and how far we've come this whole season.”
“It was a lot of fun,” Poock added. “Coach Turner never lets us throw water on her because of her bob (haircut), but she got drenched, so it was a good time.”
The celebration is now over, and all of Murray State’s focus has turned to Evansville and winning three games in three days and earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
“We’ve got a chance this year,” Young said. “We already won the regular season. So just having that on top of everything, and then also just kind of taking one game at a time, I think that's the biggest thing to kind of ease the anxiety of everything. Just focus on five minutes at a time, like Coach Turner always says.”
“Obviously us not having to play until Friday is a big deal,” Poock said. “It's good for our legs, and I think that'll help us physically. There's a lot of emotions going into the end of the season. If we lose, we're done. There's always that, but just being confident and trusting that we belong there and we'll do good.”
This team and coaching staff are just SPECIAL!!!