The Murray State women’s basketball team continued their winning streak with a 67-48 victory over Valparaiso on Sunday. The Racers dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring the Beacons 21-5 and not allowing a field goal from 1:08 remaining in the third quarter to 1:37 remaining in the fourth. This impressive scoring stretch included a 16-0 run by Murray State that lasted over six minutes.
Murray State’s strong performance was also reflected in their shooting statistics. The team shot 50% or better from the floor for the fifth time this season, going 26-for-52 in the game. They also had a 43.8% success rate from 3-point range, going 7-for-16 in the game, and a perfect 8-for-10 at the free throw line.
In addition to their shooting success, Murray State also outrebounded their opponents for the eighth time this season, securing 36 rebounds to Valparaiso’s 28. The Racers are now 7-1 in games in which they outrebound their opponents.
Murray State’s opponents only led for a total of 22 seconds in Sunday’s game, with the Racers leading for over 37 minutes. This marks the sixth time this season and the fourth consecutive game that Murray State’s opponents have led for less than one minute of the contest. Bria Sanders-Woods tied her career-high of 19 points in the game, and Katelyn Young posted her fourth double-double of the year with 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Hannah McKay also had a strong performance with nine points and nine rebounds.
Sunday’s win marks the first victory for Murray State on New Year’s Day since 1988, and the team now has a 3-3 record in games played on this holiday. Next up, the Racers will take their 2-0 Missouri Valley Conference record on the road for a pair of games in Iowa, facing off against UNI on Friday and Drake on Sunday.
