One of the all-time greatest women's basketball players in Morehead State history and in the state of Kentucky will be honored this season as women's basketball's season-opening home tournament will be the Donna Murphy Classic.
The four-game event features Morehead State, Georgia State, Eastern Michigan and Alice Lloyd (Ky.). Morehead State battles Georgia State on Friday, Nov. 11 at 5:30 p.m. ET (part of a women's-men's doubleheader) in Johnson Arena. The Eagles play Eastern Michigan on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 1:30 p.m. (also part of a doubleheader). EMU and GSU will play at 5 p.m. on Saturday, and the event will conclude with MSU hosting Alice Lloyd at noon on Tuesday, Nov. 15. That game is also being planned as an education day game with hundreds of elementary school students in attendance.
This is the second year for the tournament with the inaugural event being named for former head coach Mickey Wells (who coached Murphy) last season.
Murphy played basketball for Morehead State from 1976-80. She is a member of the elite 2,000 point club at Morehead State (only two members), and her No. 44 jersey was retired in 1999.
A native of Newport, Ky., Murphy is known as one of the most prolific basketball players to ever lace up her shoes for the Eagles. At the time of her induction she was the all-time scorer and rebounder for MSU. She amassed 2,059 points and 1,442 rebounds for the Eagles and set 13 individual records.
Murphy led the Eagles in scoring three of the four years. She led the Eagles to an OVC Championship (in-season tournament) in 1978-79. She was named to the All-Kentucky Women's Intercollegiate Conference team as a freshman and to the All-OVC First-Team the next three seasons. She earned OVC Player of the Year and was named OVC Female Athlete of the Year in 1980. She was selected as a regional All-American by Kodak on two occasions.
Murphy's best scoring output came against Murray State when she poured in 37 points in 1980. Her best rebounding effort came against Western Kentucky when she hauled in 26 boards in 1978. She also set an OVC record for the best rebounding average in a season when she averaged 17.4 boards during the 1976-77 season.
She received numerous accolades during her career. She was the recipient of Presidential Cup for Outstanding Senior Award (1980), Scholar Athlete of the Year (1980), National Dean's List of Academic Achievements (1980), President's List for Academic Excellence (1980), OVC All-Academic Team (1979-80), WPBL All-American (1978-80), Kentucky Women's Intercollegiate Conference First Team (1976-80), and KWIC All-Tournament Team (1976-80). In 2009, she was named "Face of Morehead State University Basketball" by the Lexington Herald-Leader and in 2012, she was recognized as one of Morehead State University's Most Recognized Student-Athlete Contributors in the 125-year history of the school.
She came to Morehead State from Newport High School, where she was named Kentucky's First official Miss Basketball in 1976, which is awarded to the top player in the state, after averaging 35 points and 20 rebounds. In 1975, she was named Ted Sanford MVP Award Recipient, which is given to the Kentucky Girls State Tournament MVP.
In 1975, she was just one of two high school players invited to the Olympic Trials.
Following her collegiate career, Murphy played professional basketball for the WPBL St. Louis Streak. After her playing days, she was an assistant women's basketball coach at Kentucky, Florida, Memphis, Cincinnati, MSU and Asbury University (Ky.). At Asbury, she started the women's basketball program and was there for 11 years. She has also coached at the high school, middle school, and AAU Exposure Elite and PROam levels.
She is currently a professor and director of diversity outreach and intramural sports at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. In her spare time, she is a basketball skills trainer plus coaches middle school girls' basketball for Fayette County Public Schools.
