The Salukis hosted the Racers of Murray State on Thursday, Jan. 15, in the midst of a five-game homestand. The Racers entered the game with a 12-game win streak and stand firmly in second place in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Salukis fought hard, but ultimately dropped the contest by a score of 87-74.
The Racers won the tipoff, and both teams played a clean brand of basketball, limiting the fouls and turnovers for the first half of the quarter. Forward Indya Green racked up a quick 10 points and 7 rebounds. The rest of the Saluki offense could not string together points consistently, and although they dominated the rebounding, they finished the first quarter down 23-14.
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To begin the second quarter, the Racers took control, gaining a lead of 15 points at one point. The Salukis, while down, played relentless perimeter defense, forcing the Racers to shoot just 10% from beyond the arc in the second quarter. The strong pressure, combined with excellent shot selection, allowed the Salukis to go on a 9-point run to get right back in the game. Guards Tkiyah Nelson and Alayna Kraus each dropped in 5 points in the second quarter en route to a 44-37 score going into halftime.
The second half was underway, and the Racers regained their footing and sprinted to a 12-point lead early in the quarter. Seven different Salukis contributed to the scoring in the third quarter, but the lead established by Murray State was staying consistent. The Racers were lights out from the field, and the Dawgs found themselves in foul trouble. Two late buckets for SIU brought the game within 9 points going into the final quarter.
The final quarter began, and the Salukis needed to push across some points quickly. Once again, multiple Salukis scored in the quarter. Green tallied another 4 points to add to her impressive night. She would finish the game with 18 points and 12 rebounds. The Salukis did a better job of protecting the ball, but the persistent Racers’ offense was too much to handle for SIU. The buzzer sounded, and the Racers walked away with a comfortable win of 87-74.
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With this loss, the Salukis now hold a record of 4-12 overall and a 1-6 record in MVC play. Murray State now boasts an impressive record of 15-2 and remains undefeated in conference play, with a 6-0 mark. The Salukis are back in action at home on Sunday, Jan. 18, against UIC.
Sports Reporter Noah Petschke can be reached at [email protected]
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