Box Score

MURRAY, Ky. – The Jacksonville State women's basketball team could not carry the momentum of its first Ohio Valley Conference road win of the season on Saturday as it fell to Murray State, 73-57, on Monday night at the CFSB Center.

JSU falls to 4-16 on the season and 1-6 in league play, while the Racers bumped their season's overall mark to 6-11 and even in the OVC at 3-3.  MSU also ran its string of consecutive wins over Jax State to 12 straight games.

In a game that saw five ties and three lead changes, the Racers began to pull away for the win over the last 12:54 of the half.  After a Candace Morton jumper to knot the contest at 40, the Racers put together a 10-0 run over the next three minutes to take their first double-digit lead of the half.  MSU would eventually push the lead out to as many as 17 points at the 3:13 mark of the second half off of a Mariah Robinson basket.

Robinson, who has been a thorn in the Gamecocks' side in three seasons at Murray State, led all scorers with 23.  Robinson registered 13 of her point total in the final 20 minutes.  She drained 5-of-11 from three-point range and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.  MSU connected on 8-of-29 from behind the three-point arc, including four in the final half.  The Racers' second half scoring run was aided by life on the free throw line as the turned in a 21-of-25 performance at the charity stripe.  JSU finished the evening 12-of-18 from the free throw line.

MSU turned up the defensive heat as it pulled away from Jax State, limiting the visitors just 9-of-30 from the field in the second half.  The Gamecocks hit just one three-point basket in the loss as freshman Hannah Miller knocked down a trey in the second half. 

It was Saturday's hero that led the JSU in scoring as Briana Morrow scored 11 points in the first half and helped allow the Gamecocks to weather the Racer storm in the opening half as MSU opened up it largest lead of the half at 17-9 with 12:28 left in the half.  Jax State put together a 13-5 scoring run to pull even at 22, but MSU regained the lead and finished the half with a scoring run to take a three-point, 33-30 lead at the intermission.

Morrow, who finished with 13 points at Austin Peay on Saturday, concluded the trip with a 17-point effort on the night.  The Nashville, Tenn.-freshman finished with eight rebounds in the setback.  Senior Destiny Lane was the other Gamecock to reach double digit figures with ten points.  The Ashville, Ala.-product matched her career-high in blocks with three.  JSU was awarded six blocks on the night, the most since its win over LeMoyne-Owen College. 

Senior Brittany Manning added nine points along with four assists.  Candace Morton, who had a career night at APSU with 23 points, finished with eight points and six rebounds.  Junior Danielle Vaughn nearly reached double-double status with eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds.  The Huntsville, Ala-post player registered 11 boards on the defensive end.

MSU's Erica Burgess totaled 17 points and nine rebounds in a winning effort, while Tessa Elkins posted 11 points.

The Gamecocks will have a week to prepare for the final leg of the three-game road trip as they travel to Cookeville, Tenn. on Monday, Jan. 23 for a 7 p.m. match up with Tennessee Tech.