By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
MURRAY, Ky. – As the public address announcer at Murray State accidentally announced the wrong name as the forward starter for the Tennessee Tech women instead of Mackenzie Coleman, the senior just laughed off the error.
The Racer fans, however, certainly remembered her presence as Coleman helped set the stage for a 75-58 rout over Murray State at CFSB Center on Saturday.
Tech improves to 7-4 overall, 5-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while Murray State saw its record evened at 7-7, 4-5 in the league.
The Edmonton, Ky., native had 10 points in the first quarter and finished with 15 total on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range and 3-for-4 at the free-throw line. She also had six rebounds in the contest.
A third foul in the third quarter, combined with an escalating lead – one that reached 30 at its peak in the fourth and final stanza – saw Coleman's night end early with her Tech career total hitting 999 points.
One more point will make Coleman the third 1,000-point scorer on this season's squad and the 33rd in program history.
The night wasn't all Coleman's. Junior Anna Jones led the Golden Eagles with 17 points as she was able to connect on seven of her 12 attempts from the floor, including 2-for-3 from long range, while also pulling down a game-high seven rebounds.
Sophomore Jada Guinn continued to make an impact as well, scoring 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while collecting six rebounds.
Offensively, Tech controlled the paint once again, outscoring Murray 42-12 under the glass. The Golden Eagles were also on fire, shooting 58.3 percent in the first quarter and 52.9 in the third, finishing the game with a 48.3-percent clip. Tech also only missed two of its 11 shots at the free-throw line.
Coleman scored 10 of Tech's first 12 points, pacing the Golden Eagles to a 21-11 advantage after the first quarter, then extended their lead to 37-23 at the intermission. Another dominant effort in the third quarter saw Jones lead the way with eight points in the period as Tech outscored Murray 25-15.
As the Golden Eagle lead ballooned, Tech was able to rest the starters and give valuable time to its young players. Murray State was able to chip away slightly from the 30-point lead, climbing back within 17 as the Racers outscored Tech 20-13 in the final 10 minutes with an 11-0 run ending at the 40-seconds-remaining mark.
Defensively, the Golden Eagles owned the boards, dominating 36-27 with 12 offensive rebounds. Tech was also able to convert 17 Murray State turnovers into 30 points. Guinn had four steals to lead the game.
Macey Turley was the only double-digit scorer for the Racers, collecting 22 points on a 7-for-16 night, knocking down four of her seven 3-point tries. The Golden Eagles were able to contain Racer freshman Katelyn Young, who averaged a double-double a game entering Saturday's contest. Young was held to four points and four rebounds on 2-of-6 shooting.
The Golden Eagles wrap up their three-game road trip on Monday as they head to Jacksonville State in their rescheduled game from earlier in the season. Tipoff from Pete Mathews Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
