In December, after Murray State’s women’s basketball team had recorded its third-best start in program history, it seemed inevitable that Murray State would be back in the OVC Tournament.
Yet, the conference season has humbled the Racers, as they’ve seen a 6-2 start plummet to a 6-10 conference record, sinking with it Murray State’s chances of sliding into the postseason.
There’s plenty of reasons for that descent. Season-ending injuries to guards Sadie Hill and Jentri Worley severely crippled the Racers’ backcourt, and senior center Cekeya Mack’s departure from the team forced coach Rechelle Turner to reach even deeper into her bench.
Compound all of that with the most devastating development, that the OVC’s fourth-leading scorer in guard Macey Turley injured her left knee last Thursday against Eastern Illinois and has been sidelined pending the results of an MRI, Turner announced Monday.
That’s led to a pool of nine available players for Murray State, and has led the team to adopt a “next-man-up” mentality to combat adversity.
“That’s what it’s been all year is, ‘What do you need me to do, coach? I’m going to go out there and do the best I can.’ They’re not going to shy away from it; they’re going to do whatever they can do. Obviously it’s not their natural position.”
Currently, the Racers are tied for the eighth spot in the OVC standings with Morehead State, and since Murray State won the last meeting with the Eagles, they own the tiebreaker to qualify for the eighth-seed in the OVC Tournament in March.
However, Murray State’s postseason chances hang in the balance of this final week of play. Two games between Eastern Kentucky and Austin Peay will decide whether or not the Racers cement their spot. Cementing a spot in Evansville, Turner said, would go along way in building confidence in her players.
“Every single year it has to be the goal [to get to the tournament],” Turner said. “You can’t win it if you’re not in it. Everytime we turn a corner there’s been a setback, but I think if this team can come together and find a way to win this week and get to the tournament that it would not only boost them for tournament play, but it would just boost us going into next year.”
It’s an unenviable situation – one that Turner has found herself in before during her three years with the program. In her first season in 2018, Turner’s Racers capitalized on a weak bottom conference and snuck into the tournament as an eight seed with a 7-11 record.
History could repeat itself again, as Morehead State is nipping at the Racers’ heels in the last week of regular season competition. With just a tiebreaker standing between the two teams, it’s imperative Murray State handles its business at home this week if it hopes to make the postseason for the third-straight year under Turner.
Coincidentally, Morehead State is tasked with facing the two opponents Murray State will challenge this week in Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky, though the Eagles will be doing so on the road.
Murray State has yet to face Eastern Kentucky this season, although they should be favored against the Colonels, who sit at 4-12 in the OVC.
Austin Peay, however, should prove to be an arduous test for the Racers. In their first meeting two weeks ago, the Govs rallied late to top Murray State 69-61.
While this is certainly not the hand a hobbled Murray State team would’ve hoped for, it’s the hand they were dealt, and with two critical games left, the stakes are too high to fold now.