MSU Women Shake Off Cold Start-Prevail Over Upstate 66-64

Morehead, Ky.-- The Morehead State women's basketball shook off a cold shooting afternoon and prevailed over USC-Upstate 66-64 Friday afternoon in Spartanburg, S.C., in the Spartan Shootout Thanksgiving Tournament.

Morehead State (2-4) was led by sophomore guard Kate Novik who posted a career-high 27 points on 12-23 shooting from the floor and three of five from the free throw line. She also led the Eagles with eight rebounds and five assists.  

Senior guard Aileen Marquez finished with 16 points, nine in the final 3:54 of the game.  

Cold shooting was the name of the game in the first quarter for Morehead State. The Eagles shot 0-9 from three-point range and shot just 5-22 (23%) from the floor. MSU trailed Upstate 17-12 after the first quarter. 

The Eagles chilly shooting continued in the second quarter. MSU started the frame scoreless for the first 2:30, the drought ending with a Ugwah free throw. That started a seven-point run to trim the Spartan lead to 21-19. Chrishawn Coleman's old fashioned three-point-play gave Morehead State the lead at 24-23.  

Morehead State went 0-6 from three-point range but shot 30% from the floor overall in the quarter. The Eagles forced 11 Spartan turnovers in the first half, outscored Upstate 15-10 in the second quarter and went to half tied at 27-27. Novik led all scorers at the intermission with 10 points.  

Upstate (2-6) came out of the break outscoring Morehead State 11-2. The Eagles responded with a 13-0 run capped by Novik's driving layup to go ahead 42-39. Aileen Marquez hit MSU's first three-pointer for the game with five seconds left, and the Eagles trailed 50-49 heading into the final 10 minutes.  

MSU scored first in the fourth quarter; Novik hit a driving layup at 7:07 to put the Eagles up 51-50. After the teams traded baskets, Marquez went to work: she hit a layup with 3:54 to go to put the Eagles ahead 55-54 with two minutes to go.  

She then hit Morehead State's second three-pointer of the game with 1:33 to play to push the lead to 60-56. Her jumper from just inside the arc on the right wing put the Eagles up 62-56. After a pair of free throws by Upstate, Marquez hit two free throws to extend the lead back to six, 64-58. 

Upstate's Gracie Barnes splashed a three from the right corner to trip the margin down to three with 24 seconds remaining. Upstate then forced a Morehead State turnover and Cassie Gallagher cashed it in with a three-ball from the right wing to tie the game with 11 seconds to play.

After a Morehead State timeout, Kate Novik was able to find some space in the lane right of the basket. Her turn-around lay-in with 4 seconds to go clinched the game for Morehead State.

Upstate was led by Gracie Barnes with 15 and Cassie Gallagher with 12. Lele Tanuvasa added 10 for the Spartans.

Morehead State returns to action tomorrow in Spartanburg as they face off with Jackson State in the first meeting between the two schools' women's basketball programs. There will be no media coverage of the game. You can keep up with the game via live stats on the Women's Basketball schedule page on msueagles.com.

BY THE NUMBERS 

• There were 10 ties and 13 lead changes in the game. 

• MSU missed their first 16 three-point attempts of the game. The Eagles finished 2-19 from long range. 

• From the floor, MSU hit 26-76 (34%); the Spartans went 24-64 (38%) 

• Upstate won the rebounding battle 51-45. 

• Morehead State had 11 turnovers but forced 17. The Eagles dominated with a 22-9 lead in points off turnovers.