(MURRAY, Ky.) — Murray State women’s basketball etched its name into the record books Saturday afternoon at the CFSB Center, defeating Evansville 99-80 to claim back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference championships while setting a new program record with its 26th win of the season.
The Racers, now 26-3 overall and 17-1 in conference play, secured the outright MVC title and the top seed in the upcoming MVC Tournament in a performance that showcased the firepower and depth that has defined their historic season.
Halli Poock led all scorers with 27 points on 13-of-23 shooting, continuing a remarkable stretch in which she is averaging 25.2 points per game in MVC play this season. Sharnecce Currie-Jelks was equally dominant inside, recording 24 points and 13 rebounds for her 22nd double-double of the season — a total that leads the nation. Haven Ford rounded out Murray State’s trio of 20-point scorers with 23 points and six assists, while Keslyn Secrist chipped in 14 points.
Senior Briley Pena, honored on Senior Day as the lone upperclassman on the roster, contributed eight points in what was a celebratory afternoon for the program.
The game was far from a wire-to-wire affair. After 17 lead changes and a halftime deficit of 44-43, the Racers responded with a dominant second half, outscoring Evansville 56-36 over the final two quarters. Murray State generated 20 second-chance points and edged the Purple Aces in the paint, 50-46, to pull away.
Evansville received 22 points from Camryn Runner and 19 off the bench from Kylee Norkus, and the Purple Aces shot an efficient 51.7 percent from the field. It was not enough to match Murray State’s 49.3 percent shooting performance or its 23 made free throws.
Saturday’s victory also completed an undefeated home slate for the Racers, the first time Murray State has accomplished that feat since the 2008-09 season.
Murray State will close out the regular season next week with road matchups against UIC and Valparaiso before turning its attention to the MVC Tournament in Coralville, Iowa, where the Racers will enter as the defending champions and top seed.
