For the first time in 94 games, McMurry played a game without all-American center Tarra Richardson. However, the No. 8 team in the nation earned its stripes Wednesday with a 70-67 road win over Mississippi College at Wood Coliseum. Allison Nelson and Maigen Sawyer had 19 and 18 points respectively while Jabri Butler, filling in for the injured Richardson – scored 12 points in her first start of the season.
Richardson sat out after spraining her ankle in McMurry's win over Louisiana College Monday. Wednesday's game broke an 86-game streak of consecutive starts for the senior center. However, her teammates didn't miss a beat and McMurry moved to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the American Southwest Conference.
McMurry trailed by four at half with the Lady Choctaws holding a 33-29 advantage. MC's Emily Younger scored the first bucket of the second half to put the Choctaws up six points. However, Nelson, Sawyer and Amanda Peters went on their own12-0 run to put McMurry up 41-35.
Nelson hit a jumper after Younger's basket, Sawyer then connected on two straight 3-pointers, and then Nelson and Peters each had buckets in the scoring spurt. McMurry then built a 13-point lead with 6:50 remaining.
However, Mississippi College wouldn't lie down. The Choctaws' Anna Patterson hit a 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining to make the score 69-67 in favor of McMurry. Patterson fouled Nelson with 12 seconds remaining. Nelson hit one of the two free throws and MC's Rosemary Green missed the final shot of the game with 11 seconds left.
McMurry shot 45.3 percent for the game and turned the ball over only 13 times. Sawyer was 4 for 4 from behind the 3-point line and had the team's only 3-point field goals. The Choctaws shot 48.9 percent and out-rebounded McMurry 32-28. However, the home team couldn't overcome 21 turnovers. Anesia McBride led MC in the losing effort with 17 points off the bench.
McMurry won't play again until it plays host to the University of the Ozarks Jan. 5. Mississippi College fell to 2-6 overall and 0-4 in the ASC. Richardson is expected to suit up for McMurry against the Ozarks.
