Murray State's women defeated Southern Illinois 79-75 to move to 10-0 at the CFSB Center
Halli Poock scored 21 points and Murray State survived a late surge to defeat Southern Illinois 79-75 on Thursday night at the CFSB Center.
The Racers (18-3, 9-1 MVC) relied on a dominant performance at the free-throw line, converting 26 of 30 attempts (86.7%) to maintain their lead. Sharnecce Currie-Jelks was instrumental in the interior, recording 20 points and six rebounds while shooting 6-of-10 from the field. Haven Ford added 18 points and led the defensive effort with three steals.
Murray State controlled the tempo early, building a 39-31 advantage by halftime behind sharp three-point shooting from Braxcynn Baker, who came off the bench to hit three triples for nine points.
Despite shooting just 25% from the floor in the fourth quarter, the Racers held off a 23-point final frame from the Salukis by making 14 of 15 free throws down the stretch. Southern Illinois (6-13, 3-7 MVC) was led by Alayna Kraus, who finished with a game-high 23 points.
With the victory, the Racers improve to 9-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
Photo: Sam Rhodes-Murray State Athletics
