MURRAY, Ky. – It was a near historic day for Camary Williams on Sunday afternoon as the senior guard enjoyed a career outing to lead the University of Evansville women's basketball team to an 82-77 victory over host Murray State at CFSB Arena.
Williams, who flirted with a triple-double last month against Southeast Missouri, was even better Sunday, setting a career-high with 25 points to go along with 11 rebounds and eight steals. The Ft. Myers, Fla., product has now scored double-digit points in five of UE's seven games this season and come away with at least seven steals in three of the last four.
"Camary sets the tone," UE interim head coach Matt Ruffing explained. "This kid is playing at a super-high level on both ends of the floor for us right now. She's really making it tough for opposing teams."
With the win, UE's now won two consecutive games for the first time since the 2014-15 season, and both victories featured compelling endings as the Aces were able to withhold a late Racer charge much in the same way they did against Valparaiso this past Wednesday.
"I'm really excited for our players," Ruffing said. "Especially to win these last two games in the manner that we did. Unfortunately for us, everything is going to be earned. Nothing is going to come easy. Murray State is a good team, and the girls really stepped up to the challenge today."
After trailing by as many as eight points in the opening period, the Aces (2-5) started off strong in the second stanza, with a Sasha Robinson getting things started with back-to-back buckets in the lane to pull the Aces within two at 25-23. Jumpers from Sara Dickey and Kerri Gasper helped wipe out a trio of Murray (4-4) free throws, putting UE ahead at 29-28.
From there, the lead would change seven more times before a Brooke Dossett three-pointer made it 40-38 in favor of the Aces with 1:08 left in the half. However, LeAsia Wright answered just seven seconds later with a basket of her own to send the game into the break tied at 40.
Robinson scored all eight of her points in the first half, and both Dossett and Dickey, who had combined for 12 points in the game's first 20 minutes, ended with 17 apiece.
Back-to-back triples from Wright and Abria Gulledge opened the second half for the hosts, but UE had an even more impressive response as a trio of threes from Williams and Dossett as well as an Ashley Hawkins floater in the lane tied it back up at 51-51. Murray pulled ahead once again on a Wright jumper, and that would mark the last time the Racers would lead as Williams and Dickey guided the Aces to a 10-0 run to take a 61-53 advantage, ultimately riding the tide of momentum into a 68-59 lead after three quarters.
A Dossett steal and Williams layup got things started for the Aces in the fourth, giving UE its first double-digit lead of the game.at 70-60, and Dickey followed up 30 seconds later with a three to make it 73-60. Michaela Manley responded with a triple of her own before a pair of Dickey free throws stretched things back out to 12.
However, Murray mounted its final comeback attempt in the minutes that followed as the Racers scored the next seven points and held the Aces scoreless over a five-plus minute stretch to pull within five at 75-70 with under three minutes left. Following a Dossett free-throw, Jasmine Borders made it a one-possession game, burying a corner three to make it 76-73 with just 36 seconds left.
Dossett would go 1-of-2 at the line once again for the Aces, but a Ke'Shunan James jumper missed the mark on the next trip down the floor. Williams came up with the board, and sank the ensuing pair of free throws to re-establish the six-point cushion. Borders went on to score four more points for the Racers, but Dossett and Williams iced the game in the final 11 seconds, going 3-for-4 at the line to hold off the Murray surge.
Borders was one of four players in double-figures for the Racers. She finished with 11. Both James and Wright racked up 17, and Gulledge had 16.
"You have to give a lot of credit to Murray," Ruffing said. "We were trying to take some time off the clock, and we had some nice looks that didn't fall. We were hitting them earlier, and it allowed them to work themselves back into the game. Our group is still learning how to win, and games like the last two are going to go a long way for us later this season."
UE will return to action on Tuesday morning with an 11 a.m. showdown against Oakland City. The game will feature thousands of children from local schools as the Aces will be attempting to break the single-game attendance record.
NOTES: Sara Dickey's career point total of 1,763 ranks 20th in MVC history, and with seven more points, she'd move into a tie for 19th with former Missouri State star Jeanette Tendai (1983-86) … Dickey also ranks 24th in Valley history with 212 three pointers. She's two off the mark of Indiana State's Lisa Verhoff for 23rd … Sasha Robinson is 77 rebounds off the pace of Samantha Heck (2009-13) for the fifth-best rebounding total in school history … The Aces are 14-20 against Murray State all-time … The two sides have met at least once in every season since 2008-09 … UE is 5-5 over that stretch … Last season, UE dropped the contest 73-54 to Murray at The Ford Center … UE won on its last trip to Murray, picking up a 93-83 victory.
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