The Murray State News

A special publication of The Murray State News

Men’s basketball hunting for three-peat Page 2b

Young Racers look to return to Evansville Page 3b

Racers look to replace top-two scorers Page 7b

Racers continue to build post presence Page 10b

Gage Johnson and Colton Colglazier/The News

Basketball

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November 7, 2019

Men’s basketball hunting for three-peat Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

University of Tennessee.

Along with a matchup with Southern Illinois University, the team will make a trip to the Sunshine State for the Florida Gulf Coast Showcase during the week of Thanksgiving.

In an eight-team field, the Racers will play three games in three days, beginning with a game against the La Salle Explorers on Monday, Nov. 25, at 6:30 p.m. The second game, which will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 26, will either be against Wright State or Weber State.

The final day of play will come against one of four teams: Northeastern University, University of South Alabama, Drake University or Miami University (Ohio).

After a year full of highlight passes, dunks, record-breaking performances and the largest NCAA Tournament win in program history, Murray State men’s basketball’s journey toward its third-straight OVC Championship and a trip to the Big Dance is underway.

Filling the shoes of the “bounce bros” Whether you tuned in to hear Neal Bradley and Kenny Roth call the game or made the trip to the CFSB Center to watch the Racers live, “Morant to Buchanan” became synonymous with Racer Basketball last season.

The two forged a formidable backcourt and a strong Murray State duo reminiscent of the Jonathan Stark and Terrell Miller pairing that led the Racers to an OVC Championship in 2017-18, with the help of Shaq Buchanan and Ja Morant.

The two have both gone on to the NBA, with Morant joining the Memphis Grizzlies after being selected No. 2 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, and Buchanan signing a deal to join the Grizzlies’ G-League affiliate Memphis Hustle.

This leaves the Racers with 37.5 ppg, 11.7 apg and 3.6 spg to account for. Luckily for Murray State, it returns the three-and-D threat sophomore guard Tevin Brown, senior forward Darnell Cowart—who was named to the Preseason All-OVC First Team alongside Brown—the 201819 OVC field goal percentage leader sophomore forward KJ Williams and fifth-year senior forward Anthony Smith.

Senior guard Jaiveon Eaves and junior forward Devin Gilmore also return to the Racers, as the two were the first off the bench for the Racers down the stretch last season.

Head Coach Matt McMahon is ecstatic to return so many of his players from last season’s championship team and expects them all to become better players and leaders for this year’s team.

“I think those guys are hungry to get the opportunity to do it again,” McMahon said.

“Now they have to try and build the program and step forward into bigger roles. I think they’ve put in the time this offseason to be in position to do so. Now we have to go out and get it done.”

While Brown was typically the third option at the guard spot behind Buchanan and Morant last season, McMahon expects him to make a big

How will the OVC shape up?

Gage Johnson/The News Head Coach Matt McMahon celebrates after the Racers NCAA Tournament win against Marquette.

jump with the amount of work he put in over the summer.

“I think if you look especially at the production in the Bahamas you have to look at Tevin Brown,” McMahon said.

“Down in the Bahamas he averaged 22 ppg in 22 minutes, shot the ball off the charts and really impacted the game at both ends of the floor. I expect him to continue that.”

Williams and Cowart filled in nicely last season when Smith went down early with a season-ending injury.

McMahon said you’d never know that Anthony was injured if you watched him right now, and he is ready to be one of the leaders on the hardwood for the Racers this season.

“He’s been relentless in his drive to get back on the floor,” McMahon said. “He brings incredible toughness and competitiveness to our team.

He only knows one speed.

Whether it’s practice, shootaround, individual workouts, or the game, he’s going to come in and give you everything he’s got.”

Williams’ breakout season surprised many during his freshman year, and he hopes to build on that success this season.

“I’m going to try to help the team scoring-wise,” Williams said. “Last year, I was more like a dump down guy. I was scoring, but not as much. So this year, there’s a big emphasis on me to score more.”

Cowart became a household name for the Racers toward the end of last season, starting the final 13 games.

He averaged 10.3 ppg while leading the team in rebounding with 6.5 rpg.

Gilmore also took a step forward last season gaining some crunch time toward the end of the year. Most notably, he stood out in the season finale against Austin Peay, scoring 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting, snagging five rebounds and blocking two shots.

While McMahon is aware of what the team lost after the last season, he isn’t concerned with replacing them.

“We don’t make it about who do we have to replace, it’s about this our team and how do we build this group into the best team we can be,” McMahon said. “I know we lost one of the best players in the world off our team from last year, but we do return about half of our production. It doesn’t guarantee you anything, but it does show that there are some pieces in place and if they’ve done what they were supposed to in the offseason, then they’ll be ready to step in and make a bigger impact this season.”

welcomes six new players through transfers and incoming freshmen.

The team will also welcome redshirt freshman guard DaQuan Smith, who sat out all of last season with a leg injury.

He will be accompanied by incoming guards freshman Noah Kamba, freshman walkon Rod Thomas, junior Jason Holliday and McDonald’s All-American nominee freshman Chico Carter Jr. Meanwhile, the freshman forwards Matt Smith and Demond Robinson will join the returning trio of bigs for the Racers.

Brown believes the balance between incoming players and returning Racers will be a big advantage for them throughout the season.

“I feel like we definitely have a deeper team this year,” Brown said. “We have people that have been here that know what it takes and then we have people here that are coming in and being shown what it takes.”

Non-conference challenges

Last season the Racers faced one of the toughest non-conference schedules in program history, taking on Incoming Racers two SEC schools in the University of Alabama and Auprovide depth burn University.

Along with the many reThis season won’t be too turning Racers, the team far off, taking on the SEC’s

After one of the conference’s most talent-filled years with players such as Morant and Belmont’s forward Dylan Windler being drafted and countless players pursuing a professional career in the G-League or overseas, many teams have big shoes to fill.

The retirement of former Bruins Head Coach Ricky Byrd leads to a new era in Belmont basketball, headed by new Head Coach Casey Alexander, who spent the past six seasons at Lipscomb University.

Belmont fell to the Racers in the OVC Championship 77-65 last season, marking the second year in a row that the Bruins lost in the OVC Championship. Despite this, Belmont was voted No. 1 in the 2019-20 preseason OVC poll.

The Bruins will be without 2018-19 All-OVC First Team selections Windler (21.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg) and guard Kevin McClain (16.2 ppg, 4.2 apg).

However, they will benefit from returning last season’s OVC Freshman of the Year in sophomore forward Nick Muszynksi, sophomore guard Grayson Murphy and sophomore Caleb Hollander who all contributed key minutes for the Bruins last season.

Jacksonville State will also look very different from a year ago, as they will be without Jason Burnell (17.2 ppg and 9.6 rpg) and Marlon Hunter (12.7 ppg), the team’s two leading scorers, and Christian Cunningham (8.4 ppg and 7.7 rpg), the team’s second-leading rebounder.

Game info

The Racers will open up the regular season when they take on Southern University at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the CFSB Center.

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Gage Johnson/The News

The Murray State women’s basketball team looks on during their exhibition game against Georgetown College.

Young Racers look to return to Evansville Nick Kendall Staff Writer nkendall1@murraystate.edu

In the second year of Head Coach Rechelle Turner’s tenure, Murray State women’s basketball shocked the conference last season and hope to build on that with a young team this season.

Last Season vs.This Season The Racers were expected to finish last in the OVC preseason poll last year, but a 9-9 conference record put them in a tie for sixth place with Jacksonville State.

Murray State got the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament and took an early exit after falling to the three-seeded UT-Martin Skyhawks.

This season, the team has been picked to finish eighth in the OVC and Head Coach Rechelle Turner is proud of the growth her young team showing but explains that to her and the team those are just rankings.

“I’m very proud of the fact that we were able to get that respect,” Turner said. “But I tell my players all the time you’re gonna prove people right or prove people wrong every time you take the court.”

“To be the best you have to play the best” Just like last season, the Racers will face some more serious, highly ranked opponents in non-conference play.

The Racers will begin the regular season at the University of Louisville at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Cardinals have made it to or past the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 for the last nine years. They made it all the way to the Elite Eight last

year before falling to the University of Connecticut 80-73.

The next week, they’ll travel to Mississippi State University to take on the 2018 National Championship winning Bulldogs at 7 p.m. in Starkville, Mississippi.

“Our kids are excited about those opportunities,” Turner said. “Being able to play in those venues to see what it’s like to go against the best, those are Final Four teams.

I’ve always believed that if you want to be the best, you have to play the best and try to emulate their success.”

The home opener and conference play begins for Murray State at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2 at the CFSB Center.

The team will face Belmont on Jan. 23 and the Battle of the Border versus Austin Peay will be at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb.13 in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Turner realizes the heavy competition they’ll face in conference play too.

“Our first 10 or 12 games in the conference are against the top five teams in the conference,” Turner said. “Putting, still a young team, out on the floor you just gotta realize we’re still in the process. We gotta take it one day at a time and continue to improve.”

Leaving, Returning Players Murray State lost two key players over the offseason in senior forward Evelyn Adebayo and junior guard Janika Griffith-Wallace.

Adebayo, after averaging and leading the team with 18.2 ppg and 11.4 rpg, was offered a spot on UConn’s roster which led to her transferring to the college basketball powerhouse.

Griffith-Wallace transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University. In the 2017-18 season, the Rams went 7-22. The following year they improved to a highly respectable 24-10.

Turner admitted losing those two important players on the team was tough, but she has key returning players in sophomore guards Macey Turley, Lex Mayes and sophomore forward Alexis Burpo.

“They have a bit of an advantage because they understand what the expectations were from the very beginning,” Turner said. “They hear the same lingo, there’s definitely communication, there’s no gap there. Last year as freshmen they went out and proved themselves with the way they played.”

Turley started in 30 games for the Racers, averaged 13.1 ppg and lead the team with 4.4 apg.

She also tied the third longest made free throw streak by making 29 and finished with the 26th best average in the nation.

Turley was named OVC Freshman of the Week seven times and later earned the 2019 OVC Freshman of the Year award. On Oct. 22, she was named to the Preseason AllOVC team.

Mayes finished her freshman season averaging 7.7 ppg. She also led the team with 56 made three-pointers and an average of 38.6 percent from behind the arc.

Burpo started in 12 games and had a 41.2 field goal percentage. She recorded a career high 14 points against Oakland City University.

New Players Turner added four new players to the roster and

they are expected to make big contributions early.

Freshman guard Jentri Worley was the first to be signed for the upcoming season. Averaging 20.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg, Worley led her hometown Neelyville High School Lady Tigers to the Missouri Class 2 State title and a 25-4 record.

Turner believes Worley is a great addition to the team for the ability to play multiple positions and bring a killer mentality to the team.

“Jentri is a strong guard that can change a game in several different ways,” Turner said.

“She is a winner and will bring that mentality to our program.”

Turner explained Worley will help share the point guard duties with Turley.

“Jentri is very capable of playing the point and relieving pressure from Macey,” Turner said. “Macey is really good at sliding over the two. We can run Macey off some screens and give her some help by taking her off the basketball. Jentri’s arrival is definitely helping us in being able to move pieces around.”

Next to sign was freshman forward Sarah Sutton from Allen County-Scottsville High School in Scottsville, Kentucky.

Turner has high hopes for Sutton because of her dominant presence on the court.

“Sarah is a player that can stretch the floor by knocking down shots,” Turner said. “She comes from a tradition rich program and understands what it takes to win.”

Sutton finished top five in the ACSHS all-time scoring leaders and earned the titles of Region 4 Preseason Player of the year and District 15 MVP. Turner picked up some more scoring talent in junior guard Ashley Hunter.

Hunter transferred from Moraine Valley Community

College where she became the schools second all-time scoring leader at 1,206. She also holds the Moraine Valley record for points in a single game at 48 and an NJCAA record for most made field goals at 21.

The hardworking play style of junior forward Laci Hawthorne caught Turner’s attention.

The 2017 McDonald’s All-American nominee was an important player for New Mexico Junior College as she helped the team reach the finals of the 2019 NJCAA Division 1 Championship.

She played in all 35 of her team’s games and averaged 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds.

Before coming to Murray, Hawthorne spent one season at the University of the Incarnate Word.

Turner expects Hawthorne to give the team some athleticism that the team lacked previously.

Last but not least, the Racers also welcomed junior guard G’Torria Swinton, another JUCO transfer. Swinton transferred from ASA College-Miami where she played 29 games and averaged 6.4 ppg and 3.7 rpg.

Turner looks forward to a great season with the still young, but very capable team.

“We’re excited, the kids have been working hard, really putting a lot of extra time into trying to work on the things we still have deficits in,” Turner said. “The attitude and effort of this team has been really good and I’ve really enjoyed coaching them.”

Game Info

The Racers begin the new season at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the KFC Yum! Center to take on the No. 9 Louisville Cardinals.

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November 7, 2019

Gibson looks to bounce back from ACL injury Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

With 5:33 left in the Murray State women’s basketball game against Oakland City on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, freshman forward Macie Gibson secured a rebound and landed awkwardly, ending her season before it had truly even started.

This was Gibson’s third game with the Racers, coming off a senior season in which she was named a Miss Kentucky Basketball finalist after leading the state in scoring (31.2 ppg) and rebounding (17.2 rpg). Gibson finished her high school career with 3,169 points and 1,700 rebounds.

Gibson had scored eight points and snagged two rebounds off the bench, but the last rebound was the last stat she recorded in the 2018-19 season.

Gibson recalls the moment every now and then, making her sick to her stomach just thinking about it. A few days after being injured, Gibson had an MRI and found out that it’d be quite some time before she took the floor again because of a torn ACL. “It put me in shock,” Gibson said. “Whenever I got my MRI and coach told me [the results] it just brought me to tears. It was devastating for me because I work so hard and I was just getting

Gage Johnson/The News Freshman Macie Gibson plays defense against Lindsey Wilson College.State against Georgetown College.

comfortable with the pace of college basketball and then it just kind of hit me in the face.”

After being given redshirt status, the long road to recovery began for Gibson. She spent the next year with a brace, working on as much as she could and strengthening her right leg with the help of Assistant Athletic Trainer Matthew Johnson.

The recovery process was extremely difficult physically, but became more of a mentally-taxing process for Gibson.

“It was very difficult,” Gibson said. “All of it was very mental for me. Going into rehab every day—it was like three hours a day—I had to know what I was doing was to get back to my full strength again. I had to take everything very serious and work hard to get back to where I was.”

Meanwhile, the Racers were having one of the best seasons in recent memory. Murray State had won seven of its last 10 games to earn the sixth seed in the OVC Tournament.

While she certainly doesn’t wish injury upon any of her players, Head Coach Rechelle Turner actually thought having the time to sit back and watch wasn’t a bad thing for Gibson.

“I think it was good for her to be honest,” Turner said.

“There were a lot of times she was frustrated last year because she saw maybe a lack of effort or a lack of communication and she would make comments about it. I said ‘you need to remember that when you get back in there, and that should fuel your fire to get back and want to be better when you do get back.’”

Being one of the tallest players on the team and one of the few bigs that Murray State has, Gibson has taken on the challenge of learning how to play both spots in the frontcourt.

“It’s going to be a learning curve for me to play the four and the five,” Gibson said.

“I’m a little hesitant at the five, but I’m working to get better at it and I can shoot so I think that’ll help a little bit.”

Turner knows it will take some time after a major injury like Gibson’s, but believes just as much as Gibson does that she can be a crucial player for the Racers in the upcoming season.

“She’s not 100 percent by any means, but every single week that passes by she progresses more and more,” Turner said. “She’s going to

be a big part of our offense.

She can do a lot of things. She gives us a little extra height and muscle on the inside, but she may be the best shooter that we have on this team.”

Her ability to stretch the floor with her lightning-fast release is something Turner thinks will cause a lot of problems for opponents this season.

“It barely touches her fingers and it’s gone,” Turner said. “She definitely is going to be a mismatch for certain people because they’re going to have to guard her out on the perimeter and then they’re going to have to box her out on the inside. So depending on who’s guarding her, I think she can take advantage of that.”

Gibson will begin the season with a brace, but the goal is for her to be able to play without it come conference play.

While many might think Gibson wants to show everyone what she can do after sitting out a year, her only goals are to follow the “We over Me” slogan Turner has instilled in the team and rack up the wins for the Racers.

“I want to make a big impact,” Gibson said. “I want to win, so I will do anything for us to win. I’d like to win more games than we did last year and I’d like to move up the ladder to get higher than eighth and get to the tournament.”

Smith poised for big senior year Simon Elfrink Staff Writer selfrink@murraystate.edu

After playing only five games last year due to an ankle injury, senior Anthony Smith will make his return for a fifth year of college basketball.

The 6-foot-7-inches forward was unable to finish last season after he injured his ankle on Dec. 4, 2018.

He had a solid start before the injury, averaging 7.6 ppg and leading the Racers in rebounds at that time. His rebounding performance was nationally ranked, thanks in part to a 10-board opening game.

Now, Smith has been cleared for play. The question of his health is not one he is concerned with; he is just eager to get back on the floor and play with the same intensity he always has. “ I ’ m p re t t y m u c h t h e same Anthony,” Smith said.

“The junkyard dog I’m soon to be, playing aggressively at all spots on the floor and just being more hungry.

[I’m] taking every chance that I have on the floor to be better.”

Head Coach Matt McMahon was pleased to have one of his big men back, especially given his experience with the team.

“He’s been fantastic,” McMahon said. “He’s really the only player off our 2018 NCAA tournament team that played significant minutes.

Having him back—his energy level, his consistency on a daily basis—I think really has set a tone for how hard our players need to work.”

Going into his fifth year w i t h t h e R a c e rs , S m i t h i s m o re t h a n re a d y t o help lead the team to i t s t h i rd - s t r a i g h t OVC Championship.

“I’m not perfect,” Smith said. “I don’t make everything. I just try to lead by example and that’s just being a hustle player, being an enforcer on the floor, or being that person everyone goes to when they feel like they’re lacking an answer.

That’s what I try to be.”

McMahon agreed that S m i t h’ s h e a l t h i s n’ t a

concern right now. All things considered, McMahon is ready for his fifthyear senior to take the floor.

“His health is great,” McMahon said. “You wouldn’t have any idea he suffered a ny t y p e o f i n j u r y l a s t season.”

Smith’s plan is to compete to the best of his ability, and although good health is never a guarantee, he put confidence in the lengths to which he and his doctors have gone to prevent further injury. “ B re a k i n g m y a n k l e wasn’t the first major injury I’ve had before,” Smith said. “I tore my ACL in high school my senior year, so I’ve had experience not to worry about my injuries after I recover. I was very confident when I stepped on the court that first game to know that any move I made was going to be good.”

Smith will get the chance to test his recovery to the fullest alongside his team at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4, at the CFSB Center against Martin Methodist University.

Gage Johnson/The News Senior Anthony Smith is announced as a starter at the CFSB Center

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November 7, 2019

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‘In number five I trust’

Turley looks to build off of stellar freshman season Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

Sophomore guard Macey Turley is becoming a leader and crucial cog in the Murray State women’s basketball program, and Head Coach Rechelle Turner says we’ve yet to see her best basketball.

The Murray native broke onto the scene last season, proving any and all doubters wrong about her ability to play at the collegiate level. This came as no surprise to Turner, who is proud of the way Turley came in and proved right away that she’s among the OVC’s elite.

“I had no doubt,” Turner said. “The thing that probably made me the proudest last year was that there were some doubters and she went out each and every night and proved that she belongs. We were very fortunate to get her here. If she was two or three inches taller she’d be playing in the SEC without a doubt.”

Turley was the third-leading scorer on the team, averaging 13.1 ppg along with a team-leading 4.4 apg. This statline turned her into the OVC Freshman of the Year and a member of the All-OVC Second Team and the OVC All-Newcomer Team.

Turley has already racked up another accolade entering this season, earning Preseason All-OVC honors.

Considering the amount of responsibility she took on as a freshman for the Racers, Turner’s happy that she’s receiving the recognition she deserves.

“Not very many freshmen carried the load that young

lady did last year,” Turner said. “Just being thrown out there playing almost 40 minutes a game, being expected to bring the ball up the floor, score it and if you don’t score it, pass it to someone who can.

So, it’s just really good to receive the accolades she deserved, but I’ll be the first to tell you, you haven’t seen her best basketball yet.”

Despite her array of awards, Turley isn’t stopping there and is determined that she can improve even more.

“Even though Macey was Freshman of the Year, she was disappointed with the way she shot the basketball last year,” Turner said. “She didn’t feel like her numbers were where they needed to be. If she gets to where she knocks down a higher percentage of shots, she really is going to be trouble.”

Turner said Turley has made a conscious effort to get in the gym and get up extra shots on the move, off the dribble and off of screens, in order to improve those percentages.

“I got with Coach J [Jawuan Scaife] and we really talked about how I can finish around the basket in different ways and just try to create space so I can get my shot off better,” Turley said.

Turley also said it’s nice to receive the recognition, but it’s not the main goal she has in mind.

“Mainly, I’m just excited to get back to the Ford Center and maybe make a run better than we did last year,” Turley said.

Becoming such an integral part of a young team

Macey Turley follows through her jumpshot against Georgetown College.

Macey Turley signs a poster for a young fan at Racer Mania.

has forced Turley into a leadership role, but she’s been more than willing to accept that role.

“It’s been kind of tough, but I’m always up for a challenge,” Turley said. “I’m more of a lead by example kind of person, but the coaches have been pushing me to be more vocal. I think I’ve done pretty good so far, but I’m still working on it.”

Before joining the Racers, Turley attended Murray High School, playing under Turner for her first three seasons.

During their time together as Murray Tigers, Turley set multiple records while Turner helped coach their team to multiple Region 1 titles.

Their relationship was a huge part of bringing Turley to the Racers and the sophomore guard believes their bond has become even stronger in her year at Murray State.

“I think it’s grown even more just from this year to last year,” Turley said. “We’re best friends on the court and best friends off the court. It’s just

Gage Johnson/The News

really good to have her coaching me.”

Turner has made it clear that she trusts Turley completely with running the team at the point guard position and that it’ll stay that way as she continues her Racer career.

“I always have faith in No. 5,” Turner said. “Because I know regardless of what happens, she is going to give 110 percent and she’s going to do everything to help herself and her team do well to win the game.”

Gage Johnson/The News

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November 7, 2019

New season, different guards

Racers look to forge new dynamic backcourt

Keaton Faughn Contributing writer kfaughn1@murraystate.edu

With the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, the Murray State men’s basketball team said goodbye to one of its strongest backcourts in program history, leaving one burning question: who will fill Ja Morant and Shaq Buchanan’s shoes?

The backcourt tandem leaves the Racers with 37.5 ppg, 11.7 apg and 3.6 spg to account for.

However, to Head Coach Matt McMahon, a promising group of new and returning guards such as sophomore Tevin Brown and senior Jaiveon Eaves will be able to do just that.

“We don’t make it about who we have to replace,” McMahon said. “It’s about this is our players, this is our team, how do we build this group into the best team we can be. Two years ago we lose Stark, the best player in our league, also lose Miller, who was the best forward in our league, and we didn’t spend the offseason [saying] ‘how do you replace those guys.’

We said ‘hey, we’ve got Ja and Shaq back; let’s build our team around those two guys.’ We’ll have the same approach to this year’s team.”

McMahon is looking to the players that are returning this season for inspiration, players like Brown, Eaves, Darnell Cowart and KJ Williams are just some of those that could have an even bigger impact on the court than last season. McMahon wants to use these players and build the best team around them that he can.

Among the returning guards expected to take a major leap this year is Brown. After sitting out a year due to a leg injury, Brown was the third option behind Morant and Buchanan, averaging 11.8 ppg. McMahon was also pleased at Brown’s ability to play defense at a high level at the guard position.

For his efforts last season, Brown was named to the 2019 Preseason All-OVC First Team.

Coming into this year, McMahon thinks Brown’s work in the offseason has prepared him to take on a larger role.

“Without a doubt Tevin Brown has really separated himself from a consistency standpoint,” McMahon said. “He really impressed me last year, not just [with] his 12 points a game, but he was fantastic at the defensive end of the floor for us and was really a key piece to why our perimeter defense was so good. On top of that, he’s such a smart player—got a great basketball IQ—and he doesn’t make many mistakes out there on the court.”

Being a returning player, Brown says that he’s been focusing on showing the new guys on board what needs to be done by being a more outspoken leader.

After transferring from John A. Logan College, Eaves joined the Racers in the 2018-19 season seeing about 10 mpg. After shedding 25 pounds, McMahon thinks Eaves is capable of having a much bigger role with this year’s squad.

“Jaiveon Eaves has had a tremendous offseason,” McMahon said. “He’s gone from

one of the worst on the team to one of the top 2 on the team [in body fat percentage], and it’s a great credit to him and the time and work he’s invested in that, so I’d like to see him take a big jump this season.”

With Brown’s ability to create plays off the dribble improving during the offseason and Eaves’ relentless work over the summer, the returning Racer guards look to make big contributions this season.

Junior guard Brion Whitley also returns to the Racers, but will begin the year with a leg injury and no set timetable for a return.

The returning guards will be joined by redshirt freshman DaQuan Smith, freshmen Chico Carter Jr., Noah Kamba, Rod Thomas and junior guard Jason Holliday who transferred from Bossier Parish Community College.

Chico Carter Jr. is fresh from South Carolina, graduating from Cardinal Newman High School where he averaged 21.8 ppg.

Kamba averaged 16 ppg and 13 apg at Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Thomas was a superstar in his own right while at Paducah Tilghman High School in Paducah, Kentucky, averaging 15.2 ppg and 4.2 rpg scoring over 1,600 points during his high school career.

Holliday comes to the Racers after playing at Bossier Parish Community College, and during his sophomore season averaged 16.8 ppg and 7.6 rpg.

Gage Johnson/The News

Freshman DaQuan Smith surveys the floor against Martin Methodist College.

Redshirt freshman Daquan Smith dealt with an injury for the majority of last year, seeing only 13 minutes of playing time and scoring only three points. Before joining the Racers, Smith helped lead Holly Springs High School to a second-place finish in Mississippi’s 2A tournament, scoring 26.3 points per game as well as hauling in 7.3 rebounds for his senior season.

Ultimately, this newfound depth for the Racers will be extremely helpful in their hunt for a third-straight OVC Championship.

“I feel like we definitely have a deeper team this year,” Brown said. “We have people that have been here

that know what it takes and then we have people here that are coming in and being shown what it takes.”

As far as dividing up playing time between players, McMahon says it’s a good problem to have, but that the players ultimately determine who plays, and he is confident that it will work itself out.

“Guys just need to stay focused on getting better each day and build relationships with our team,” McMahon said.

The Murray State men’s basketball team will officially kick off the regular season at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, hosting Southern University at the CFSB Center.

2019-20 Guards

Tevin Brown

Chico Carter Jr.

Jaiveon Eaves

Jason Holliday

Noah Kamba

DaQuan Smith

Rod Thomas

Brion Whitley

Basketball

November 7, 2019

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Gage Johnson/The News

Sadie Hill plays defense against Georgetown College.

Racers look to replace top-two scorers Nick Kendall Staff Writer nkendall1@murraystate.edu

While the Murray State women’s basketball program took a step forward last season, it will face the tough challenge of replacing its toptwo scorers from a season ago with a young squad.

Now a redshirt senior, former Racer forward Evelyn Adebayo transferred to play for perennial college basketball powerhouse University of Connecticut.

Adebayo played one year at Murray State and started in all 30 games. She led the team in scoring with 18.2 ppg, and in rebounds, averaging 11.4 per game.

The London, England, native also set a single-season record with 19 double-doubles and tied the Murray State record for consecutive double-doubles with seven.

The Racers will also miss out on the output from former junior guard Janika Griffith-Wallace.

The Racers’ second leading scorer last season transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University, which finished second last year in the Atlantic 10 conference after finishing 11th the year before.

Griffith-Wallace left Murray State averaging 11.7 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Losing two important players is tough, Head Coach

Gage Johnson/The News Laci Hawthorne is introduced as a starter against Georgetown College.

Rechelle Turner admits, but she believes her newcomers and transfers will be able to fill the void.

“Everybody wants to talk about who left and we’re not focused on that,” Turner said.

“We’re focused on the players that want to be at Murray State. Our kids are working hard and we’re going to continue the process every single day.”

A player Turner believes can make an impact quickly is redshirt freshman forward Macie Gibson, who has finally recovered from an injury.

“We’re gonna have to have her rebounding abilities,” Turner said. “She’s gonna have to push her big body around and give us some physicality but her ability to stretch the defensive offensively is gonna open things up on the inside for [Cekeya] Mack because we’re gonna have to honor Gibson at the three-point line. She is one of our purest shooters. She is gonna bring a lot of bigs out on the floor.”

Turner also credits sophomore guard Macey Turley for being named to the Preseason All-OVC First Team.

“Not many freshmen carry the load that young lady carried last year,” Turner said.

“Just being thrown out there playing almost 40 minutes a game and being expected to bring the ball up the floor.

It’s just really good to see her receive the accolade that she deserved.”

Turner expects Turley to have a better season because according to the thirdyear head coach despite her

winning OVC Freshman of the Year last season, the sophomore guard still thinks she could’ve played better.

“Her percentages last year in shooting were not what she’s capable of doing,” Turner said. “I know those are going to get better. In just a year of experience and getting used to the speed of the game and to understand new ways to attack—I think she’ll have an even better year.”

In terms of culture, nothing has changed. Turner still has the team focused on working as a unit and bringing success to the whole program.

“The chemistry is as good as it’s ever been,” Turner said.

“This bunch has really bought in on the ‘We over Me’ that we really stress. This is probably the hardest-working team I’ve had since I’ve been here.”

A rebuild for any team is difficult, but Turner is ready and even excited, as she is known for not backing down from a challenge.

“We’re continuing to build,” Turner said. “We knew it was gonna take some time and I feel like we’re gonna take another step forward this year, and we’re really excited about our 2020 recruiting class and excited about the players we’re going after in the future.”

Turner drives home that if her team works hard and plays for each other, good things will happen.

Leadership is paramount for a young team like the Racers. Turley and senior forward Cekeya Mack have taken on that role for the most part, but

Turner believes everyone can be a leader in their own way.

“We have some kids who have stepped up verbally and have said ‘hey, this isn’t how we do things, this is how we do things,’” Turner said.

“I think leaders come in all shapes and sizes—some are verbal and some lead by example.”

Seeing Mack finally have the opportunity to play a bigger role on the team is also important for Turner.

“Mack didn’t play a whole lot of minutes last year because she played behind Evelyn,” Turner said. “She has an opportunity to go out and prove people wrong about what they think about her.”

Turner definitely knows the team has more depth than last year, but for the Racers to outperform themselves from last season, she also knows that defense will have to be a main focal point. She wants to limit the amount of opportunities they give other teams.

“We call them ‘gifts,’” Turner said. “We have to limit the amount of gifts we give other teams each game. I think shooting the basketball well is gonna be a must. Being able to team-rebound because of our size and the 50/50 balls, just the little things.”

While losing two great players, this young Murray State team has gained a lot more in terms of personal and physical growth. An experienced point guard, key players back from injuries and immense depth will help the Racers try to reach new heights.

Basketball

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November 7, 2019

Brown looking for a big sophomore season Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

Following a successful freshman season, sophomore guard Tevin Brown is looking to build on his scoring capabilities to become the primary scorer at the guard position for the Racers.

After being given redshirt status and sitting out a year, Brown joined the Murray State men’s basketball team and became the third option behind now Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and Memphis Hustle guard Shaq Buchanan.

Brown certified himself as a threat from beyond the arc, while becoming a solid defensive anchor on the wings for the Racers. Brown led the team in three-point percentage (37.2%), drilling 90-242 threes.

H is most i mpressive game of the season came against UT Martin, in which he scored 31 points, converting 9-for-14 threes to tie the Murray State single-game record.

Overall, Brown averaged 11.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.3 apg, while scoring in double figures in 18 games in his first season with the Racers.

His efforts earned him a spot on the Preseason AllOVC First Team alongside Murray State senior forward Darnell Cowart.

Along with many in the OVC, Head Coach Matt

McMahon said he expects Brown to take a big jump this season and that his work in the offseason has him more than ready to do so.

“Without a doubt Tevin Brown has really separated himself from a consistency standpoint,” McMahon said. “He really impressed me last year, not just [with] his 12 points a game, but he was fantastic at the defensive end of the floor for us and was really a key piece to why our perimeter defense was so good. On top of that, he’s such a smart player— got a great basketball IQ—and he doesn’t make many mistakes out there on the court.”

Over the summer, the Racers made a trip to the Bahamas to play three exhibition games against the Bahamas Select, Commonwealth Bank Giants and Abaco Elite.

In those three games, Brown seemed to be taking that jump that McMahon wants from his sophomore guard.

“I think if you look especially at the production in the Bahamas you have to look at Tevin Brown,” McMahon said. “Down in the Bahamas he averaged 22 ppg in 22 minutes, shot the ball off the charts and really impacted the game at both ends of the floor. I expect him to continue that.”

Along with his abilities on the cou rt, McMa hon wanted Brown to take on

Gage Johnson/The News Sophomore Tevin Brown looks to feed the post against Marquette in the NCAA Tournament.

the role of a leader on the team, and Brown has taken that challenge head on. “[I’m] just being able to help bring the new guys along to what we have to get done,” Brown said. “Basically, just being a more vocal leader to everyone on the team.”

While Brown was labeled by many as a three-point shooter, his play and statistics show that he impacts the game tremendously on both ends of the floor.

“I ta ke pr ide i n t hat [defense] more than I do

anything else,” Brown said.

“I feel like I rebound pretty well and I’m pretty smart with the ball. I don’t have many turnovers, so me assisting in getting the ball to the right guys will definitely help [us this season].”

Murray State was predicted to place second in the Preseason OVC poll, but Brown and the team aren’t batting an eye at it.

“Preseason polls don’t rea lly mea n a nyth i ng,” Brown said. “It’s just people putting together their thoughts. So, it just goes

right over our heads. We just prepare the same way and play to win.”

At the end of the day, Brown and company are working toward a thirdstraight OVC Championship, in spite of polls that suggest otherwise for the upcoming season.

The Racers will begin their journey to back-toback-to-back OVC Championships when they open up the regular season against Southern University at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the CFSB Center.

Gage Johnson/The News

Basketball

November 7, 2019

9b

Mack looks to lead as lone senior Jon Dunning Staff Writer jdunning1@murraystate.edu

If you look at the Murray State women’s basketball roster, you will find only one senior out of a group that includes four freshmen, four sophomores and three juniors.

That senior is forward Cekeya Mack.

As Murray State heads into the 2019-20 season, the young team will look to Mack as a leader. She is arguably the most seasoned member of the women’s basketball squad.

Mack discussed how she has approached coming into the leadership role and how she has communicated her experience to her teammates.

“Basically, [I] just told them what’s to be expected beforehand,” Mack said. “Don’t take everything lightly and don’t take everything too hard. Just be prepared and expect the unexpected.”

Mack also provides a great example to her teammates by practicing hard, even when no one expects it. She invests in extra workouts and practice sessions on her own time.

Murray State Head Coach Rechelle Turner recognizes how much effort Mack puts into training and noted how

important that effort is for the team’s success.

“She’s put a lot of time in extra workouts,” Turner said.

“This team is going to be dictated a lot on the amount of effort that we give, and that starts with her as our senior.”

Turner also provided insight into what she thinks motivates Mack to train hard and be the best player she can be.

“I think Mack sees the opportunity in front of her, and you know, that makes you continue to want to push and want to get better,” Turner said. “I think the opportunity for playing time being in front of her is one thing that drives her.”

Mack, who is from Albany, Georgia, joined Murray State during the 2018-19 season after playing for Albany Tech University.

According to Mack, she decided to transfer to Murray State because she felt ready to leave home. However, she found that transition to be difficult because it put distance between her and her family.

“I’m so big on family and my nieces,” Mack said. “That was my world, so it was hard.

I kind of chose Murray because it felt like back home.

And, [Murray is] very family-oriented. I’m big on family, and that’s what Murray is.”

Mack also described how she has built her relationships with Turner and her teammates during her two years at Murray State.

“It was hard at first because I’m not the easiest person to open up to anybody,” Mack said. “Over time it progressed and developed.”

Since then, Mack has come into her own with the Racers.

During the 2018-19 season, Mack led Murray State in blocks with 20 and shot 55.1 percent from the floor. She played in 30 games with three starts.

Turner believes that since joining the team, Mack has grown as a person and leader and is continuing to develop her leadership skills.

“She’s a totally different kid than when she first got here,” Turner said. “She’s really opened up; she’s really bought into what we’re doing.

You know, she has bought into this captain title. Sometimes she still is trying to learn how to be the leader that she needs to be, but I think she enjoys the opportunity to be that leader and I know when she’s going hard and when she’s working hard, our players respect that.”

Turner said Mack’s ability to control the game in the paint will be crucial for the Racers

Gage Johnson/The News Senior Cekeya Mack drives toward the rim for a layup in transition.

and that her work since last season has prepared her well for the upcoming season.

“Well, you know Mack, she’s very strong, so she has the ability to score around the basket, and sometimes she gets in a hurry,” Turner said.

“She slows down, she keeps it simple, she’s tough to guard, she’s a good rebounder, she’s got good hands. Those are things that she’s continued to improve on and those are things that we are going to need her to do to be successful. We are going to need her to rebound the basketball and we are going to need her to

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score in the paint to help open up things on the outside.”

As Mack heads into her last season with Murray State, she expects her team can do big things this year.

“I think we can go pretty far,” Mack said. “If we all buckle down and put our minds to it and don’t let nobody steer us from what we got, then we can go as far as we choose to.”

Mack and the Murray State women’s basketball team start the 2019-20 season Friday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. against the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Basketball

10b

November 7, 2019

Racers continue to build post presence Simon Elfrink Staff Writer selfrink@murraystate.edu

With the 2019-20 college basketball season only days away, the Murray State men’s basketball team looks to continue its progress from last season in establishing a solid post presence for the upcoming season.

While finding a way to patch the hole in the absence of recently-drafted sophomore guard Ja Morant is a challenge on its own, the Racers’ frontcourt has an entirely different dilemma: The number of posts who have proven themselves eligible to play valuable minutes this season.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Head Coach Matt McMahon said. “I think a lot’s still to be determined. I think ultimately the players determine who plays. Either their commitment on a daily basis [or] their production in practice. Do they make the people around them better? I’m confident those things will work themselves out and who earns the minutes will play out as the season goes on.”

Throwing their horseshoes in the ring are incoming freshmen Demond Robinson and Matt Smith. Returning to the Racer post game are junior Devin Gilmore, sophomore KJ Williams, senior Darnell Cowart and fifth-year senior Anthony Smith.

Anthony brings experience to the frontcourt in his fifth season of college basketball, coming back after his last season was cut short due to injury. Before the injury, he

KJ Williams leads the fastbreak against Florida State in the NCAA Tournament.

averaged 7.6 ppg and 5 rpg.

Now that he’s made a full recovery, it looks like he’ll be an integral part of the lineup once again.

“Anthony really attacked the surgery and rehabilitation process the way he attacks every workout, every practice,” McMahon said.

“He only knows one speed, and that’s all out. He’s made a great recovery. I think our team greatly benefits from his leadership and his toughness back for his fifth year.”

Smith wasn’t the only forward who battled an injury.

Cowart also suffered from a knee injury. With Cowart back in good health, he’s made his way into the

forefront of the post conversation. Toward the end of last season, Cowart added valuable minutes for the Racers.

After making his first start in the 22nd game of the season, he was integrated into the starting lineup for the remainder of the season. Cowart averaged double figures for the Racers at 10.3 ppg. He was also an invaluable rebounder with 6.5 rpg.

“Darnell is working his way back into practice,” McMahon said. “He’s doing well.

It’s just a matter right now of continuing to build his conditioning back to the level he got to, which was a guy who was playing 34 minutes a game when the season was

Gage Johnson/The News

on the line. So that’ll take some time, but we’re going to be patient and let him work his way back.”

Williams was a significant rebounder last season, snagging 4.7 rpg. He also added 7.6 ppg, shooting nearly 70 percent from the field.

Williams anticipates contributing even more this season. Although he plans to keep his game around the basket, where he excelled last season, he plans on extending his range a little as well. The new three-point line has freed up just enough room inside for posts like him to take advantage.

“It’s provided more space,” Williams said. “You can catch

the ball out wider. We have more space to cooperate.”

Williams’ greatest focus in the months leading up to the season was conditioning. He, like several other Racers, lost significant amounts of body fat during the first weeks of practice. Now that opening day is fast approaching, he’s directed his attention to the fundamentals of his game, especially mid-range and finishing around the basket.

Gilmore also found his way into the rotation off the bench last season after being upset with his original role to start the year, becoming a sparkplug for the Racers.

“Coach put some trust in me to perform and that has been reassuring,” Gilmore said. “I was surprised at first at my role, but all year my goal has been to increase that. It was frustrating at first, but I had my mom and my coaching staff in my ear encouraging me to stay consistent.”

And consistent he was. After Jan. 26, Gilmore provided 14.1 mpg off the bench for the Racers and his athleticism and ability to defend around the rim was a crucial factor to fastbreak buckets for Murray State.

Regardless of who claims the minutes when the season arrives, Smith summed up what he expects from himself and the other bigs on the team.

“We’re just going to continue to battle,” Smith said.

“Whoever’s not called out [to start] at that four and five better be ready to come off the bench.”

Darnell Cowart

KJ Williams

Anthony Smith

Devin Gilmore

Demond Robinson

Matt Smith

Basketball

November 7, 2019

11b

Racers rout Martin Methodist College Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

Murray State men’s basketball kicked off the year with a 105-64 victory over Martin Methodist College, in large part due to five players scoring in double figures and dominant play inside.

After trailing the RedHawks 6-3 to start the game, the Racers kicked the intensity up a notch.

This led to a 17-0 run filled with a barrage of threes from sophomore guard Tevin Brown, ultimately giving Murray State a 21-6 lead with 14 minutes to play in the first half.

Murray State continued to pour it on offensively. Heading into halftime with 51-28, the trio of sophomore forward KJ Williams, Brown and senior guard Jaiveon Eaves combined for 34 of Murray State’s 51 points.

Brown finished the night with 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including 4-for-5 from three.

Eaves followed up his fellow guard with 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting with a pair of triples.

Williams finished the night leading all scorers with 20 points on 9-for-17 shooting, falling one rebound shy of a double-double.

Williams was the definition of efficiency last season, converting on nearly 70% of his field goal attempts, but averaging 7.6 ppg. Williams said he plans to change that to help the team this season.

“I’m going to try to help the team scoring-wise,” Williams

said. “Last year, I was more like a dump down guy. I was scoring, but not as much. So this year, there’s a big emphasis on me to score more.”

While it may not necessarily be the game plan for Williams to take such a high volume of shots, if he’s got that many open looks, Head Coach Matt McMahon wants him to take them.

“If he gets good shots, I want him shooting as many as he can,” McMahon said. “I thought he missed some around the goal that he will normally make. I thought he did a really nice job of doing his work without the basketball to get good position in the post. I want him shooting the ball every time he can in there.”

Murray State continued to fill up the stat sheet offensively, using 28 team assists to outscore the RedHawks 54-36 in the second half. With 56 points in the paint, the Racers closed out the night by claiming a 105-64 victory with a thunderous windmill dunk from freshman forward Demond Robinson moments before the buzzer sounded.

Along with Williams, senior forward Anthony Smith and Robinson helped forge a dynamic presence in the paint.

Anthony finished with 15 points and nine rebounds in his first game since returning from an ankle injury that had him miss all of 2018-19.

Robinson exploded late in the second half, scoring 11 straight points for the Racers in his first game with the team.

He finished the night with 16

points on 7-for-9 shooting and five rebounds.

“Demond’s going to be a really good player,” McMahon said. “I think you saw his ability to finish plays around the basket and to impact shots around the goal with his length. I’m really excited about his longterm future, but also the shortterm in his ability to impact our team.”

Redshirt freshman guard DaQuan Smith saw his first action after sitting out the 201819 season with a leg injury. He got the starting nod at the point guard position and scored six points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists.

Both Anthony and DaQuan sat out last season, spending a lot of time together on the sidelines rooting for their guys. For those two it was a day full of excitement to get to hit the hardwood again.

“We were talking earlier today and I was just happy for him, just as much as I was happy for me to get back on the floor,” Anthony Smith said. “Just being able to see him back in action right along with myself was a good experience.”

The team was without senior forward Darnell Cowart, who was voted the Preseason AllOVC First Team. McMahon said he is progressing well in his rehab, but doesn’t have a timetable for his return.

Murray State will begin its regular season when it takes on Southern University at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the CFSB Center.

Mackenzie O’Donley/The News Senior Anthony Smith lays the ball in against Martin Methodist College.

MURRAY STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL 2019/2020 SCHEDULE VS

AT

Southern U. AT Nov. 9 Tennessee 7 PM Nov. 12 8 PM

VS

VS

Gulf Coast Brescia AT VS Showcase Nov. 16 7:30 PM Southern IL Nov. 25-27 MO State Dec. 3 Nov. 19 TBA 7 PM 7 PM

VS Cumberland Dec. 28 UT Martin Jan. 2 7 PM 7 PM

VS SEMO Jan. 4 7 PM

AT JSU Jan. 9 8 PM

AT

VS

AT

AT TN Tech AT Jan. 11 7:30 PM

MTU Dec. 7 7 PM

AT UT Martin Jan. 16 7:30 PM

AT Kennesaw Dec. 16 7 PM

AT SEMO Jan. 18 2 PM

Evansville Dec. 21 6 PM

VS Belmont Jan. 23 3 PM

VS TSU Jan. 25 5 PM

OVC VS AT VS AT AT AT AT VS VS VS Tournament APSU APSU Morehead EIU EIU SIUE Belmont TSU SIUE EKU March 4-7 Jan. 30 Feb. 1 Feb. 6 Feb. 8 Feb. 13 Feb. 15 Feb. 20 Feb. 22 Feb. 27 Feb. 29 TBA 5 PM 2 PM 5:15 PM 4:30 PM 5 PM 5 PM 5PM 11 AM 5:30 PM 5 PM kChloe Cannon/The News

12b

Basketball

November 7, 2019

Racers oust Tigers in exhibition game

Freshman Jentri Worley shoots a jumpshot against Georgetown College.

Gage Johnson Sports Editor gjohnson17@murraystate.edu

Gage Johnson/The News

With the help of senior forward Cekeya Mack and junior forward Laci Hawthorne’s double-double performances, Murray State women’s basketball defeated Georgetown College 83-36.

The Racers got things going with a hot start from Hawthorne right out of the gate. Hawthorne got the starting nod in her first game with Murray State and had six points to go along with four rebounds to help the Racers to a 15-7 first-quarter lead.

Hawthorne ended the night leading all scorers with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Head Coach Rechelle Turner said her energetic play and athleticism will be a huge asset to the team going forward.

“She never stops,” Turner said. “She’s always around the ball. If she’s not getting an offensive board, she’s right there.

She plays that hard all the time and that energy is infectious.

With her effort alone she gets things done, but then she has ability and skill that allows her to do other things as well.”

The Racers ramped up their efficiency in the second quarter, going 11-for-18, including an 8-0 run which sent Murray State to the locker room with a 41-23 lead.

The second half was much the same, with Turner and company coasting to an 82-36 victory.

The Racers had five players in double figures in Hawthorne, sophomore guard Macey Turley (12 points), freshman

forward Macie Gibson (11 points), senior forward Cekeya Mack (10 points) and freshman guard Jentri Worley.

As much as the offense was run through Turley, it was evident that the team wants to take some of the large workload she carried last season away, and Turner thinks they have the depth to do it.

“We want to be able to put her [Turley] in the position to where she doesn’t have to have the ball in her hands for 40 minutes,” Turner said. “Jentri is a freshman, but she came in tonight and proved she can run the team, and that’s what we expect from her. We do have other people that can get the ball down the floor. We want to play fast. We want to take the first best shot and we feel like we have kids that can make those shots.”

The team also let it fly from beyond the arc, shooting 9-for30. Turner said while they may not all have went in, she wants her team taking those shots as it will be a crucial part of their offense.

“I think that [three-point shooting] has to be one of our weapons because we have that ability,” Turner said. “We’re not going to just kill people on the inside just yet, so we’re going to have to take advantage of those opportunities. I think getting the three-ball up is going to be something we look to do quite a bit.”

Murray State will hit the road to open up the regular season, taking on the No. 9 ranked University of Louisville at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, at the KFC Yum! Center.

kChloe Cannon/The News