Racers release non-conference schedule

WBB: Two SEC opponents highlight Murray State's road slate

Briley Pena and the Racers will open their season November 7th against SIUE. (Photo: Murray State Athletics)

Murray State’s women officially released a challenging 2024-25 non-conference schedule on Monday afternoon. For those inquiring, we may still be several weeks away from the Missouri Valley Conference announcing conference games. There have been no grumblings that announcement is imminent.

At this point, no game times have been released for any of these games.

October 30 vs. Bethel (Exhibition)

The Racers will host Bethel in an exhibition game for the second time in three years.

November 7 vs. SIUE

The former Ohio Valley Conference foes will meet in Murray for the first time since the Racers moved to the Missouri Valley Conference. Murray State has won the last four against SIUE and seven of the last eight games in the series. Coming off a 5-26 season, SIUE returns their top seven scorers from a season ago, including senior KK Rodriguez who averaged 22.0 points per game last year.

November 12 vs. Southern Indiana (Education Day)

USI went 25-7 last season, winning Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships. Since the Screaming Eagles are still in their transition phase moving up from Division II, they weren’t eligible for the NCAA Tournament. USI advanced to the second round of the WNIT where they ultimately lost to Wisconsin, 67-62.

Murray State beat USI, 93-73, last December in Evansville. The Screaming Eagles return their top six leading scorers from last season.

November 15 at LSU

This will be the Racers’ first-ever meeting with LSU. The Tigers, who won a national championship in 2023, finished 31-6 last season before falling to Iowa in the Elite Eight. While All-American Angel Reese graduated and moved on to the WNBA, LSU still returns four of their top five scorers from last season in Aneesah Morrow (16.4 PPG), Flau’jae Johnson (14.9 PPG), Mikaylah Williams (14.5 PPG) and Sa’Myah Smith (11.7 PPG).

November 23 at Memphis

This will be the first meeting between the two schools since November 2009 when the Racers won in Memphis, 69-59. The Tigers are coming off a 13-17 season where they lost in the opening round of the AAC Tournament. Second-year Head Coach Alex Simmons will be looking for someone to replace leading-scorer Madison Griggs. Griggs was the only Tiger last season to average double-figures.

November 26 at Little Rock

Murray State leads the all-time series 6-2, which includes last season’s 98-79 win in Murray. Little Rock went 12-18 overall last season, but did finish 11-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Faith Lee, who was Little Rock’s only player to average in double-figures last season (14.5 PPG), will return for her junior season.

December 3 at Saint Louis

SLU is coming off a 22-18 season, which was capped off by winning a WNIT championship. The Billikens are led by senior forward Peyton Kennedy who averaged 16.9 and 5.3 rebounds per game last season. Kennedy shot 49.3% from the floor and 38.5% from beyond the arc. Murray State and Saint Louis have each won six games in the all-time series, but they haven’t met since 2013.

December 7 vs. Austin Peay

The longtime rivalry will be renewed at the CFSB Center. The Racers lead the all-time series, 54-53, after winning last season in Clarksville 93-85. Peay went 17-16 last year before falling in the ASUN Tournament semifinals. Anala Nelson is the top returning scorer for the Govs. She averaged 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last year.

December 15 at Alabama

Alabama beat Murray State in the only matchup between the schools, 68-47, on December 20, 2017 in Rechelle Turner’s first season as head coach of the Racers. The Crimson Tide went 24-10 last season as they earned a #8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After beating Florida State in the opening round, Alabama lost to #1 seed Texas in the Round of 32. The Tide return their top three scorers, and five of their top six overall, in Sarah Ashlee Barker (16.8 PPG), Aaliyah Nye (14.1 PPG) and Jessica Timmons (11.2 PPG).

December 19 vs. Western Carolina

Western Carolina will come to Murray for just the second-time ever, and the first since 1987. The Racers won at WCU last December, 89-79, in the final game before Christmas. Coming off a 6-24 season, Western Carolina made a coaching change and hired Jonathan Tsipis to lead to the Catamount program. Despite having a new coach, Western Carolina brings back four of their five top scorers from a year ago, including leading scorer Chelsea Wooten (10.2 PPG).