Late 3-pointer lifts I-35 girls over Murray

MURRAY — Interstate 35’s Nicole Bowden sank a deep, contested 3-pointer with :03 left to give the Roadrunners a 41-38 win over Murray here on Jan. 24.

Interstate 35 improved to 8-9 with the win.

Murray turned the ball over with :24 left on a five-seconds closely guarded call, giving Interstate 35 a chance to hold for the last shot.

Murray’s Kate Patton had a shot from just inside of the halfcourt line to tie the game, but missed right.

“It was an exciting game,” Interstate 35 head coach Jamie Smith said. “I thought both teams played well. We got down there a bit early, kept fighting back, and hit a big-time shot at the end. I thought everything Murray got tonight, they earned.”

Bowden, playing in just her third game of the season, scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Roadrunners.

“She’s a scorer,” Smith said. “She brings a lot of energy on the offensive end. She shot the ball well. The girls did a good job, too. They know who’s hot, and made sure she got the ball.”

Murray jumped out to an early lead at 9-3 and led 9-6 at the end of the first quarter, but the Roadrunners battled back and led at each break after that.

With the game tied up at 27 late in the third quarter, Nicole Travis re-entered the game for the Roadrunners after sitting on the bench with foul trouble.

Travis, who had been held scoreless up to that point in the game, reeled off seven straight points for the Roadrunners over the course of the third and fourth quarters, to keep Interstate 35 in the lead.

“We made the decision to sit her until we needed here,” Smith said. “She comes out and hits seven points in a row. She’s our leading scorer. She’s been battling some little, nagging injuries, but seven points right in a row, that’s big for us.”

The Mustangs never led again until Patton hit 1-of-2 free throws with 1:04 left to go up 38-37.

Interstate 35 also set a school record by turning the ball over just four times in the game.