Live running diary: Murray State vs. SIU
WBB: Get my real-time thoughts during the Senior Day game for the Racers
1:36pm: Welcome to our first real-time running diary here at RacerBasketball.com as we get ready for Senior Day with Murray State and Southern Illinois. Senior Day festivities are set to begin around 1:45pm
1:40pm: What an incredible moment from Murray State’s shootaround today, as Jenna Walker, who medically retired back in October, hit the pregame half-court shot today to end practice. (Video: @RacersWBB on X)
1:52pm: They just finished Senior Day stuff. Man … so darn cool. Ava Learn, Jenna Walker and Trinity White all getting their flowers. Katelyn Young getting her banner hanging from the rafters. Happy tears all over the place at The Bank!
2:07pm: Southern Illinois 4, Murray State 0 — 7:07 1st quarter
There’s a palpable buzz in here which is very cool. Racers are off to a slow start missing their first eight shots and a pair of free throws. Senior Day emotional hangover, maybe? The Murray State press forced an early SIU timeout, but I’d think the Racers need a reset as much as anybody right now.
2:15pm: Southern Illinois 8, Murray State 4 — 4:52 1st quarter
The Racers finally get on the board after a Katelyn Young steal and layup, but things are all out of whack right now. Murray State is 1-for-12 from the floor and hasn’t been able to cash in on any of their five offensive rebounds.
2:28pm: Murray State 16, Southern Illinois 8 — End of 1st quarter
The Racers end the quarter on a 12-0 run, although nine of those points came in a 90-second flurry as Haven Ford and Katelyn Young combined for three triples.
The Racers were fortunate during their offensive rut that SIU turned it over seven times and made just 4-of-16 shots in the first quarter.
Rechelle Turner, and this crowd, may pop a blood vessel or two in this game. Officiating has been … sketchy? Is that a good word? Ava Learn got called for a foul on a box out, which was borderline horrific.
Crowd is apoplectic.
Rechelle Turner is apoplectic.
This is fun — at least for me. What an atmosphere.
2:37pm: Murray State 27, Southern Illinois 20 — 3:58 2nd Quarter
Katelyn Young picked up two fouls in a 30-second span in the first quarter. Rechelle Turner is riding with her early in the second, and she just took a charge on SIU’s best player, Gift Uchenna.
Halli Poock is heating up in the second quarter. She’s got nine points so far this period.
This has been a disjointed game so far, as neither team has been able to get much rhythm offensively. SIU is shooting 36% from the floor, while Murray State is currently at 30%.
SIU has blocked six Racer shots so far.
2:50pm: Murray State 43, Southern Illinois 27 — HALF
Welcome to the Halli Poock Show.
After scoring two points in the first quarter, Poock went 7-for-7 from the field, including a pair of three-pointers, to finish with 17 points for the quarter.
SIU missed a shot in the final seconds, and Haven Ford grabbed the rebound with five seconds left. She dribbled the length of the floor, and was fouled shooting a three with 0.4 seconds left. Ford made 2-of-3 free throws to put the Racers up 16 at the half.
Poock leads the Racers with 19 points at the half. Ford has 12 and Young has eight.
Murray State is shooting 38.9% from the field, and Southern Illinois is making 34.4%.
3:17pm: Murray State 59, Southern Illinois 40 — 3:34 3rd Quarter
The first two possessions of the half, Rechelle Turner is going to Ava Learn. Learn gets a 3-point play on the first possession, then makes a pair of free throws on the next one. Katelyn Young comes right back and nails a three-pointer, and suddenly the lead is north of 20.
SIU answered back with a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 13 thanks to a pair of three-pointers. The Salukis are shooting 26.5% from beyond the arc for the season — so, I’m not sure that’s sustainable.
The Racers came right back with six unanswered to push the lead back to 19.
After starting the game 0-for-3 from the free throw line, Murray State is 13-for-14 since.
3:29pm: Murray State 62, Southern Illinois 44 — End of 3rd Quarter
We got a synchronized charge!! Briley Pena got bowled over and two officials called the offensive foul in unison. For all my annoyance this season with the abundance of charges being called in the women’s game, to quote the great Ron Burgundy: “I’m not even mad. That’s amazing!”
The game slowed down a bunch in the last five minutes. The Racers missed six straight shots and haven’t scored in more than four minutes — until Young gets a three-point play with 26 seconds remaining in the quarter. 15 SIU turnovers have kept the Salukis from making a legitimate run in this one.
The Salukis have blocked eight shots, which is the most since they blocked nine three weeks ago against Missouri State.
3:36pm: Murray State 72, Southern Illinois 48 — 7:28 4th Quarter
Holy wow! In the first minute of the quarter, Halli Poock drove from the top of the key to the right side of the basket and whipped a wrap-around pass into the left corner.
My direct quote: “Who is she passing to?!?”
Answer: Briley Pena.
Pena was spotted up in the corner and nailed the three-pointer. It was one of the best passes I’ve seen all year. I have absolutely no idea how Poock saw Pena, let alone got it to her.
Katelyn Young just dropped another three-pointer — she’s got 19 — and SIU needs a timeout. The rout appears to be on.
3:51pm: Murray State 87, Southern Illinois 64 — FINAL
The last few minutes were a celebration, as Trinity White, Ava Learn and Katelyn Young all got their curtain calls coming off the floor one last time.
Halli Poock finished with 23 points, Katelyn Young had 19, Haven Ford had 16, Ava Learn had 13 and Briley Pena chipped in with 11.
I’ll have a ‘Ride Home’ posted later tonight.