MARTIN, Tenn. – Being the only Morehead State women's basketball player to play 30 or more minutes, redshirt sophomore
Lauren Carter tied a career-high with 38 minutes played while scoring in double-figures to lead the Eagles Thursday versus UT Martin.
Carter paced Morehead State with 12 points, collecting her ninth double-figure scoring game of the season. In the second half, she did not leave the floor, scoring 10 of her 12 points in the half. Carter also tied for the team lead with seven rebounds—all coming on the defensive glass—posting her highest rebounding output since grabbing six boards in the first meeting with UT Martin.
Redshirt sophomore
Gabby Crawford joined Carter with a team-high seven boards pairing them with six points while senior
Jazzmyn Elston added seven points to round out the trio of Eagle leading scorers.
Unfortunately, a season-low field goal percentage was too much to overcome, falling to UT Martin 77-39 at the Elam Center Thursday night.
In addition to posting team-bests in scoring and rebounds, Carter paired with sophomore
Ariel Kirkwood as the duo combined for all four of the Eagles' blocks and seven of the team's eight steals. Both players recorded a pair of rejections while Carter swiped a game-high four steals with Kirkwood adding three thefts.
Morehead State returns to action Saturday at Southeast Missouri. Tip-off from Cape Girardeau, Mo. is set for 3 p.m. ET and airs on ESPN+ and the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Eagle Sports Network (MSUEagles.com).
KEY MOMENTS
- UT Martin opened the game picking up a pair of baskets, using a Morehead State turnover to create an early advantage. The Eagles' Gabby Crawford answered with a jumper of her own to trim the advantage to two in the early going.
- The Skyhawks answered by limiting the Eagles to 1-of-19 shooting, outscoring Morehead State 19-2 during the remainder of the first quarter, holding the advantage at the first quarter break.
- Morehead State began to chip away at the deficit in the second quarter, holding UT Martin to 4-of-17 from the field in the period while forcing four turnovers. The Skyhawks kept pace with the Eagle scoring output in the quarter, however, as all four of the team's made field goals came from beyond the three-point arc.
- UT Martin embarked on another long run in the third quarter, outscoring the Eagles 23-9 to grow their advantage. The Skyhawks benefited in the quarter from strong shooting at the free throw line, connecting on 11-of-12 attempts in the quarter.
- Lauren Carter led the Eagles in the third quarter, scoring five of her 12 points on the night in the period. Including earning three of the five points from the charity stripe.
- Carter opened the fourth quarter scoring Morehead State's first five points of the frame with the points coming on a made three-pointer and a fastbreak layup scored on a long outlet feed from Ariel Kirkwood.
- UT Martin closed the game on a 10-0 run while holding the Eagles without a made field goal over the final four minutes of the contest.
KEY STATS
- Swiping three steals Thursday against UT Martin, Ariel Kirkwood has recorded three or more thieveries in four of the past five games, tallying 14 of her 41 steals this season over the last five contests.
- Grabbing 11 offensive boards versus UT Martin, Morehead State has pulled down 10 or more rebounds on the offensive glass in each of the last four games. Overall, the Eagles have recorded double-digit offensive rebounds in 16 of 20 games this season.
- Playing a game-high 38 minutes—including all 20 of the second half—, Lauren Carter tied a career-high for minutes played, equaling her minute total from Morehead State's game at Tennessee Tech on Jan. 30.
- Morehead State's 39 points Thursday night, the Eagles snapped a streak of 229 consecutive games scoring 40 or more points as the team didn't reach 40 points for the first time since Nov. 24, 2013, versus Duquesne.
