FRIDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Kentucky 71, Western Carolina 62
Southern Miss 80,
Austin Peay 71
Akron 73,
Belmont 58
@Southern Illinois 78,
Southeast Missouri 62
EASTERN KENTUCKY 71, WESTERN CAROLINA 62
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball team nearly led from start to finish in a commanding 71-62 victory over Western Carolina on Friday in the UNCW Hampton Inn Thanksgiving Classic at Trask Colisuem.
Western Carolina (2-3) jumped out to a 7-2 lead, but EKU (2-2) tied it on a three-pointer by sophomore Michaela Hunter and took its first lead, 9-7, on a jumper by Jasmine Henshaw at the 14:43 mark of the first half. The Colonels never trailed again.
The baskets by Hunter and Henshaw were part of a 21-2 run by EKU that culminated with a Jasmine Stafford jumper that gave the Colonels a 14-point lead, 23-9, with 9:01 remaining in the first half.
A coast-to-coast drive and layup by sophomore Mariah Massengill just before the buzzer made it 42-30 in favor of the Colonels at halftime.
Eastern went on a 7-0 run to open the second half and took a 19-point lead, 49-30, when Massengill connected on a three-pointer with 18:23 remaining in the game.
The Colonels led by 20 points twice during the second half, the latest time coming with 9:01 to play. The Catamounts clawed back into the game with free throws and finally cut EKU's lead to single digits, 69-60, on a pair of foul shots by Justin Taylor with 1:41 remaining.
EKU, however, got a fast-break layup from sophomore Alexus Cooper on its ensuing possession and held on for the win.
Hunter – the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week – led all players in the game with 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. She also added six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Henshaw and Massengill contributed 10 points apiece.
Junior Shelly Harper scored seven points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Harper's efforts on the glass helped EKU outrebound WCU, 43-36.
EKU shot a season-high 49.2 percent (30-of-61) from the field in the win.
The Colonels – who entered the weekend ranked second in the OVC in scoring defense (63.7 points-per-game) – stifled Western Carolina to 32.2 percent (19-of-59) shooting from the field and 27.3 percent (3-of-11) shooting from deep.
Eastern will face North Florida on Saturday at noon in its second game of this weekend's holiday tournament.
AKRON 73, BELMONT 58
DENVER, Colo. - A strong start on both sides of the ball was not enough to hand the Belmont women's basketball team (0-5) its first win of the season at the University of Denver Thanksgiving Tournament. The Bruins were held off by the second half run by first-time opponent Akron (5-0) and fell, 73-58.
A tough defensive output by the Bruins held the Zips scoreless for five minutes after Belmont took an early 4-0 lead behind layups by freshman Sally McCabe (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) and sophomore Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.). The teams traded baskets until the midway mark of the stanza but the Bruins never relinquished their lead. Akron put together a quick run to move to within one, 14-13, around the nine minute mark behind a three and a jumper in the lane.
UA took its first lead of the day two minutes later with a flurry by Sina King but the Bruins battled back with a jumper by freshman Sierra Jones (Huntsville, Ala.) and a pair at the line by sophomore Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) three minutes later. The effort made it a two-point game, 23-21.
Ninety seconds later, Joubran battled under the basket for an offensive rebound and a put back to knot the score at 23. Senior Taylor Mills (Corryton, Tenn.) picked up a steal, opening the door for another tip in by Joubran with 30 seconds left to put BU on top, 25-23. However, the Zips managed to net a triple with 1.3 ticks left on the clock to regain the lead, 26-25, heading into the locker room.
After the break, the Bruins opened with a 7-2 run fueled by sharp shooting by Joubran to go up, 32-28. Akron dug in its heels and forced the teams to trade baskets for two minutes before Akron grabbed a 44-40 lead around the 13 minute mar. A put back by McCabe inched BU to within one possession and looked to spark the Bruin offense.
The Zips continued to press, blowing its lead up to as many as 16, 64-48, with just over six minutes remaining but the Bruins continued chipping away at the deficit. Aiding by being in the double bonus, BU moved to within 13 but another Akron flurry distanced the squads. Freshman Katelin Bundy (Lexington, Ky.) came off the bench and immediately buried a three-pointer from the left corner, looking to spark her teammates for the final two minutes of regulation but the Zips were content to burn the clock playing keep away in the waning minutes as they pushed to the 73-58 win.
The Zips shot 42 percent from the floor, 23.5 percent from behind the three-point arc and 78.6 percent at the free-throw line. UA held the advantage in rebounds, 48-39.
Akron had two players with double doubles – Sina King with a game-high 25 points, 11 rebounds and Anita Brown with 16 points, 10 rebounds.
The Bruins shot 31.7 percent from the hardwood, 35.7 percent from three-point range and 72.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Belmont was led in scoring by Joubran, who dropped in 15 points. Luffman-Hartsfield also reached double digits, adding 12 points. Luffman-Hartsfield also led the team in rebounds, pulling down seven while Joubran had six. Senior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.) had a pair of steals.
SOUTHERN MISS 80, AUSTIN PEAY 71
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team dominated the bulk of action but a nine minute span in the first half proved its undoing in a 80-71 nonconference loss to Southern Miss, Friday afternoon, at Reed Green Coliseum.
Austin Peay (1-4) opened the game by making its first four shots and jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the first two minutes. Southern Miss rallied to tie the game, 10-10, in the next three minutes. The two teams traded baskets over the next five minutes, senior guard Tiasha Gray’s three-pointer moving APSU within a point, 19-18, with 10:30 left.
But as was the case Monday at Chattanooga, a critical nine minute stretch decided the contest. Austin Peay went just 1-of- 13 from the floor and committed eight turnovers after Gray’s three pointer.
Meanwhile, Southern Miss went 10-of-18 during the same span, including a stretch where it made eight consecutive baskets. The Golden Eagles lead reached 22 points, 44-22, when Brittanny Dinkins hit a free throw with 3:27 left. Sophomore forward Beth Rates ended Austin Peay’s field-goal drought at the 1:43 mark, but the Lady Govs could only trim its deficit to 19 points, 47-28, at halftime.
Austin Peay dominated the second-half action, opening the period with five straight baskets and a 10-0 run to slash the deficit to nine points at the 17:41 mark. Southern Miss would push back and built a 15-point lead seven minutes later.
The Lady Govs had one more burst in reserve, an 11-2 run that saw it close within five points, 68-63, with 4:48 left. Sophomore center Tearra Banks made three free throws to start the run and Rates added a pair of jumpers. Gray would end the run with two baskets, the final one close them within two possessions.
Southern Miss (4-1) scored on its next two possessions to end the threat Jerontay Clemons hit a jumper and then Kierra Jordan scored after an Austin Peay offensive foul, extending the lead to nine points. The Lady Govs would get within six points twice in the final two minutes, but would get no closer.
Gray led the Lady Govs with 20 points and seven assists, but was 7-of-19 from the floor. Banks added 15 points and five rebounds, going 5-of-8 from both the floor and the free-throw line. Stainback finished with 14 points while Rates added a 10-point, nine rebound outing.
Tamara Jones led Southern Miss with a 20-point, 15-rebound effort off the bench. Clemons added 16 points.
Austin Peay will face Oral Roberts in the 11 a.m., Saturday consolation game.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 78, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 62
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southeast Missouri dropped a 78-62 contest at Southern Illinois on Friday. With the loss the Redhawks fall to 1-4.
Jasmine Robison led the Redhawks with 14 points while Yelena Rosado added 11. Connor King just miss a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.
SIU was led by Rishonda Napier with 21 points.
Full recap coming soon.