(CORALVILLE, Iowa) — Murray State used a blistering fourth quarter to put away a resilient Northern Iowa squad, 72-59, Saturday afternoon at Xtream Arena, advancing in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
The Racers, who entered the game 29-3 and atop the MVC standings at 19-1, had to weather a remarkable comeback attempt from UNI before finally pulling clear in the final period.
It was Murray State’s Keslyn Secrist who proved the difference. The Virginia native poured in a game-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including four three-pointers, and had her most decisive impact in the fourth quarter — when she drained three consecutive triples to snap the Panthers’ hopes. Teammate Haven Ford added 19 points on an efficient 6-of-12 from the field, while Sharnecce Currie-Jelks controlled the glass with 13 rebounds.
UNI had no shortage of fight. The Panthers trailed by as many as 18 in the second half before an extraordinary third-quarter surge that actually gave them the lead. Abby Tuttle sparked the rally off the bench, scoring 14 points on the night. Elise Jaeger was everywhere in the comeback stretch — recording three steals in the third quarter alone and finishing with seven points, two blocks, and three steals overall.
With 4:48 left in the third quarter, the Panthers appeared on the verge of one of the tournament’s great upsets. A layup from Lauren Walker pushed UNI ahead 50-46, and Xtream Arena buzzed with possibility. But Murray State’s Halli Poock answered with back-to-back three-pointers in the fourth quarter to restore order, and Secrist’s barrage made it insurmountable.
UNI shot just 2-of-19 from the field in the final ten minutes, unable to manufacture offense when it mattered most. The Panthers finished at 32 percent from the floor and converted only 3 of 19 three-point attempts.
Murray State’s fast-break offense was a key factor throughout, producing 14 fast-break points compared to UNI’s four, and the Racers committed the game’s fewest turnovers with ten.
Jenna Twedt led UNI with 12 points, while Ryley Goebel added 12 of her own and hauled in eight rebounds. The Panthers finish the season at 18-14.
Murray State is only the second MVC team to win 30 games (Missouri State) in a season. They will play for the championship and an invitation to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at 1p.m. vs. the #10 seed Evansville Purple Aces (10-24), who will be playing in their fourth game in the last four days. The game will be telecast on ESPN2.
PHOTO: David Eaton, MSU Athletics
