SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Belmont 66, SIUE 52
Tennessee Tech 73, @Jacksonville State 51
Austin Peay 67, @Alabama A&M 54
Eastern Illinois 76, @Tennessee State 67
BELMONT 66, SIUE 52
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Belmont women's basketball team (6-7, 1-0 OVC) used a stifling defense in the second half to defeat SIU Edwardsville (6-7, 0-1 OVC) on Saturday afternoon at the Curb Event Center. The Bruins knocked off their first-time opponent, 66-52, to clench their first OVC victory.
The Bruins jumped out to an early 5-0 lead behind a jumper by senior Katie Brooks (Maryville, Tenn.) and a three pointer from the left side of the arc by classmate Alyssa Visbeen (Franklin, Tenn.) as SIUE remained ice cold for nearly the first four minutes of play, going 0-6 from the floor before scoring at the 16:18 mark. BU kept rolling, gaining a burst of momentum with a pair of shots from redshirt sophomore Jordyn Luffman (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) and jumpers in the lane from Brooks to go up 13-6 by the 12:41 mark.
The Cougars quickly put together rally and hustled to trim BU's lead to three, 19-16, four minutes later. However, the Bruins stormed back behind a completed three-point play by reigning OVC Newcomer of the Week Jordan Coleman (Orlando, Fla.) and her layup on the next possession to maintain an eight-point advantage, 24-16.
SIUE kept threatening BU's lead and by the three minute mark had made it one point game, 28-27. The Cougars continued working and went on to grab the lead as Belmont suddenly went frigid from the floor. SIUE went on to close the half with a 9-0 run as the Bruins remained silent from the hardwood for the final 4:43 of the half to help them take a 31-28 lead into the locker room.
When the teams returned to the floor after the break, BU was first to strike with Visbeen sending in a great pass in to Coleman for a tip-in to move the team within one, 31-30, in the first 30 seconds of action. SIUE surged again and built a six point lead, 36-30, but the Bruins kept fighting. Suddenly, Belmont was within striking distance, 40-38, with just under 14 minutes left in regulation after Brooks netted the team's second triple of the afternoon. On the next possession, Coleman was fouled driving the lane and went on to hit the front of the pair at the stripe to again make it a one-point game, 40-39, with 13:30 on the clock.
Luffman drove for a lay-up to open up a 6-0 run for the Bruins, capped by a steal and fast break layup by sophomore Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) that put them on top, 47-42, forcing the SIUE bench to burn a timeout to try to stop the hot streak. The brief stoppage worked as SIUE was able to hustle to regain the lead, 49-47, by the six and a half minute mark.
BU struggled to break a scoring drought that ticked over three minutes when Luffman knocked down her first three pointer as a Bruin to give Belmont the lead what would turn out for the remainder of the contest. Sparked by Luffman's trey, BU put together an 18-0 run, aided by being in the double bonus. All told, Belmont closed the half going 11-of-12 at the charity stripe.
What began as a scoring drought became evidence of a stringent defensive effort by BU that held SIUE scoreless for nearly six minutes before Jessie Wendt hit a jumper with 59.7 ticks left on the clock but by then Belmont was up, 65-51. Each team was able to add a point from the free-throw line in the final four seconds as BU cruised to the 66-52 victory over its first-time opponent.
SIUE shot 32.3 percent from the floor, an icy 16.7 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line. The Cougars held the advantage in rebounds, 39-35, and steals, 8-6.
SIU Edwardsville was led in scoring by CoCo Moore, who scored 17 points. Raven Berry added 14 points in the effort while Michaela Herrod pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.
Belmont shot 48 percent from the hardwood, 20 percent from behind the three-point arc and 71.4 percent from the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in assists, 15-6, and blocks, 4-2. BU also forced 16 SIUE turnovers.
Brooks netted a career-high 22 points to lead BU. Coleman picked up her fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and a team-high 11 rebounds and Luffman added a season-high 13 points. Visbeen finished with a game-high two blocks.
TENNESSEE TECH 73, JACKSONVILLE STATE 51
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Jacksonville State women's basketball team dropped its Ohio Valley Conference opener as Tennessee Tech topped JSU, 73-51, on Saturday afternoon at Pete Mathews Coliseum on the JSU campus.
The loss dropped the Gamecocks to 0-13 on the season, while TTU improved to 7-6 on the season and secured its first conference win of the season. The Golden Eagles have now won nine in the series with Jax State.
The Gamecocks started fast by jumping out to a 6-0 lead three minutes into the game, bur relinquished the lead the rest of the way after Tech took its first lead at 8-6 at the 16-minute mark. After the only tie of the game at 13-all with 13:19 left in the first half, the Golden Eagles took control and eventually built its first double-digit lead of 11 points at 34-23 with four minutes left in the first half. After back-to-back lay ups by Jax State to trim the deficit to seven points, TTU's Diamond Henderson drilled a three-point basket in the waning second of the half to give the Purple and Gold a 37-27 advantage at the break.
The three-point shot aided TTU's scoring run as it knocked down seven of its nine three pointers in the first half. Tech's Lashay Davis connected on 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, with all four coming in the first 20 minutes. Davis finished the contest with 12 points.
TTU opened the second half with a 12-1 scoring run to break open the game and push the lead out to 21 points at 49-28 at the 13:40 mark. The Gamecocks' first basket of the half came with 12:57 left in the game after senior Danielle Vaughn had a put-back basket. Vaughn, the Huntsville, Ala.-native, saw her first action of the season in the OVC lid lifter. She finished with six points and seven rebounds in 13 minutes of action. Vaughn was also credited with an assist and a block.
The Golden Eagles extended the margin out to a game-high 26 points on two occasions in the final seven minutes of the half. After shooting 40 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, TTU was even better in the second half as it knocked down 48 percent from the field. JSU was limited to 24 percent from the field in the final half as it made just nine baskets.
Sophomore Miranda Cantrell and Destany McLin shared scoring honors for the Gamecocks with eight points each. Sophomore Briana Morrow pulled down a game-high 11 boards and added six points. Senior Amanda McCarthy and freshman Peyton Hisel also added six points each.
JSU had the edge on the boards by a plus-two margin, 43-41, and has out-rebounded the opposition for the eighth time and third consecutive game.
TTU was led by Jala Harris, who poured in 16 points. Molly Heady pitched in 13 points, while Henderson came off the bench for 11 points.
AUSTIN PEAY 67, ALABAMA A&M 54
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Austin Peay women’s basketball team will enter Ohio Valley Conference play with a pair of accomplishments in hand courtesy a 67-54 non-conference win against Alabama A&M, Saturday, at Elmore Gymnasium.
The win was the Lady Govs first away from the Dunn Center this season, ending a seven-game losing streak. It also gave Austin Peay back-to-back wins – coming eight days after a home win against Lipscomb – for the first time this season.
Austin Peay (5-7) had to survive a second-half cold stretch that saw it make only two shots in an eight-minute span. And while Alabama A&M (1-9) wasn’t much warmer, it was able to cut a 12-point APSU lead to five points, 51-46, with 6:05 left in the game.
But just as the Lady Bulldogs seemed to have secured the game’s momentum, Austin Peay got a pair of key baskets to wrest back control. Senior Nicole Olszewski struck first with a step-back three-pointer – her only triple of the contest – that stopped the run. Moments later, freshman Tiasha Grey sparked a fast break and passed to senior Leslie Martinez who made a layup that put the APSU lead back to 10 points.
Alabama A&M would close back to within six points, but Austin Peay closed the game with a 9-2 run to secure the win. Sophomore Kristen Stainback had a three-pointer and made all four of her free-throw attempts in that final 1:39.
Austin Peay also had to overcome another cold road start in the first half. The Lady Govs made only two of their first seven shots and trailed by four points, 10-6, less than five minutes into the contest.
The Lady Govs broke out of their funk by scoring the game’s next 12 points, including eight by senior Meghan Bussabarger, to gain an 18-10 lead with 12:34 left. The Lady Govs would nurse that lead into halftime, taking a 38-29 advantage into the break.
Bussabarger led Austin Peay with 15 points despite failing to score in the 2nd half courtesy foul trouble. Nicole Olszewski added 13 points – on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the floor – and had four assists. Stainback (12 points) and freshman Alexis Hardaway (11) also reached double-digit scoring territory.
Shundray Davis scored 13 points to lead an Alabama A&M squad that lost its ninth straight contest. NaDra Robertson added 10 points and nine rebounds.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 76, TENNESSEE STATE 67
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee State dropped its Ohio Valley Conference opener to Eastern Illinois 76-67 in women's basketball action Saturday night at the Gentry Center
Kesi Hess had a career-high 19 points on five-of-seven shooting from three, but it wasn't enough as EIU (5-6, 1-0 OVC) shot 58 percent from the field.
The first half saw nine ties and nine lead changes with neither team holding more than a three point advantage. Ultimately, the Lady Tigers (4-7, 0-1 OVC) held a 33-30 halftime edge, including 19 points from the bench. All 10 of Destiney Gaston's points came in 10 minutes of first half play off the bench.
Despite getting outshot by the Panthers by seven percent in the first 20 minutes, TSU attempted 11 more shots and made three more than EIU.
TSU's largest lead of the contest was five in the opening minute of the second half when Avery Jones connected on a pair of free throws.
The Lady Tigers held the lead for most of the first 10 minutes of the second half until Katlyn Payne hit one of her four three-pointers with 12:55 remaining. It was the early stages of an EIU 31-18 run that would close out the game. The Panthers would not trail again.
A three from freshman Brianna Lawrence pulled TSU even at 52 with 11 minutes left. It was the 12th and final tie of the ball game. From that point on, TSU made only five shots the rest of the way, including three from Simone Hopes, while EIU hit 11 of their last 15 shots. Hopes was one of three Lady Tigers in double figures with 13 points.
EIU's Ta'Kenya Nixon led all players with 21 points and eight assists.
It is the 14th straight win for the Panthers over the Lady Tigers. EIU holds a series edge of 27-10.