SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 76, Eastern Kentucky 58
SIUE 65, @Eastern Illinois 48
@Belmont 59, Tennessee Tech 53
@Austin Peay 70, Southeast Missouri 62
UT Martin 95, @Murray State 85
Jacksonville State 63, @Tennessee State 50
MOREHEAD STATE 76, EASTERN KENTUCKY 58
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Freshman forward Eriel McKee recorded her seventh double-double with 12 points and a career-best 16 rebounds, while senior guard Almesha Jones netted a game-best 26 points as the Morehead State women's basketball team pulled away in the second half to defeat Eastern Kentucky 76-58 at Johnson Arena.
Morehead State, which put the kibosh on a five-game losing skid in the EKU series, improved to 10-12 overall and 6-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference. EKU slipped to 8-11 overall and 3-6 in the league race.
MSU trailed 33-29 at halftime but shot 46 percent (17-of-37) the final 20 minutes and outscored the visitors 47-25. MSU limited EKU to just 28 percent (10-of-35) in the second period.
The Eagles opened the second half on a 14-0 run as the Colonels missed their first seven field goal tries.
Jones also added a game-best seven assists and moved onto the OVC's top-10 list for career helpers. She now has 517. McKee scored in double figures for the 17th time this season. She grabbed 14 defensive rebounds as MSU held a 17-3 advantage in second-chance points.
Freshman Brooke Todd tied her career-high with six points, added six rebounds and recorded a career-best five blocked shots.
Eastern Kentucky was led by Shameekia Murray's 16 points. Jasmine Henshaw pulled down 12 rebounds.
Morehead State registered a hefty 55-35 rebounding edge. The 55 boards were the second-most in 2014-15.
SIUE 65, EASTERN ILLINOIS 48
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Shronda Butts scored a season-high 30 points Saturday as SIUE women's basketball collected its ninth consecutive victory of the season.
The Cougars, now 9-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play, defeated Eastern Illinois 65-48 at Lantz Arena. SIUE improved to 14-9 overall.
The Panthers, 8-15 overall and 5-5 in the OVC, led the game midway through the first half 10-9 on a layup by Morgan Martin with 11:57 to go. SIUE turned up the defense over the next 10 minutes with a 17-4 run to go up by 12 points. Butts scored 11 points during that run.
SIUE would lead by the halftime buzzer 27-16. EIU's 16 points was the fewest allowed in the first half all season by the Cougars.
The defense loosened up a bit in the second half, but the Cougars were clearly in control. SIUE led by as much as 23 points in the game.
Despite an 11-point halftime lead, the Cougars were behind in rebounding 19-15. By game's end, SIUE turned that around to a 37-31 advantage. EIU was allowed just three offensive rebounds for the game after averaging more than 10 per contest coming into the game.
Tierny Austin was the only other SIUE player in double figures with 11 points. Micah Jones added eight points and a game-high eight rebounds.
SIUE took advantage of 20 EIU turnovers to score 23 points and dominated play in the paint with a 38-18 advantage.
EIU was led by preseason All-Conference forward Sabina Oroszova who scored 19 points. Grace Lennox added 13 points. Both Oroszova and Lennox had three three-pointers each.
BELMONT 59, TENNESSEE TECH 53
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Belmont women's basketball team (8-14, 5-4 OVC) picked up its fourth consecutive win on Saturday in the Curb Event Center. The Bruins knocked off Tennessee Tech (5-18, 2-8 OVC), 59-53. The win improves BU to 5-4 in OVC play.
The Bruins opened the first half with a 6-0 run to go up 7-2 by the 16 minute mark. The Golden Eagles remained frigid from the hardwood for several minutes as BU expanded its lead to double digits behind baskets by senior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.), freshmen Sally McCabe (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) and Sierra Jones (Huntsville, Ala.) and sophomore Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.). Belmont went on to grab its biggest lead of the half, 12 points, 22-10, with 6:03 left on the clock.
The Golden Eagles finally began chipping away at Belmont's lead and surged behind an 8-0 run to move within three points, 25-22, with just 30 seconds left in the first half, taking full advantage of a Belmont drought that lasted the final 3:58 minutes.
Despite the offensive absence, the Bruins were able to hold on to their three point advantage heading into the locker room.
After the break, TTU hustled to make it a one-point game, 25-24, in the opening minute but the Bruins maintained their distance. BU used a 6-0 run to pull away 35-28 by the 13:48 mark, thanks to work in the paint by Joubran and Jones. The Golden Eagles moved to within four but Belmont surged again, this time spurred by a three-point opportunity by Joubran minutes later. The effort opened a 17-2 run that put the Bruins ahead, 51-33, their largest lead of the contest, by the 6:45 mark. The Golden Eagles remained silent from the hardwood for upwards of six minutes before a triple that bounced in broke the ice off their rim.
With less than five minutes left in regulation, the Bruins kept their eyes on victory but Tennessee Tech continued to battle down the stretch. Three minutes later, TTU took full advantage of being in the double bonus and used a pair at the line to move within seven, 59-52 with 36 ticks left on the clock. The Golden Eagle bench called a series of timeouts to strategize but Belmont remained tough, using the clock to its advantage to hold off the late attempt. TTU netted a free throw with six seconds remaining but Belmont held the ball under the final buzzer to secure the 59-53 win.
Tennessee Tech shot 33.9 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three-point range and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line. The Golden Eagles held the advantage in blocks, 5-4 and steals, 7-5.
TTU was led in scoring by Samaria Howard, who netted a game-high 17 points. Candace Parson added 10 points.
Belmont shot 37.9 percent from the hardwood, 27.3 percent from behind the three-point arc and 52.9 percent from the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in rebounds, 45-34, and assists, 16-6.
Joubran and McCabe each contributed 15 points. Jones added 12 and Carroll rounded out the double digit scorers, dropping in 10 points. Joubran pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to record her 11th double-double of the season. Senior Jordyn Luffman-Hartsfield (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) finished with a game-high five assists while McCabe knocked down a game-high four blocks.
AUSTIN PEAY 70, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 62
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team saw its “triple-post” offense at its most effective in a 70-62 Ohio Valley Conference victory against Southeast Missouri, Saturday night.
Since returning from the Christmas break, Austin Peay (8-14, 5-4 OVC) has employed a “triple-post” composed of sophomore Beth Rates, junior Jennifer Nwokocha and freshman Brianne Alexander. That combination finally paid off in Saturday’s win combining for 43 points and 22 rebounds. Rates posted her season’s first double-double with 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Nwokocha added a season-high 16 points and Alexander chipped in a season-high 15 points.
Austin Peay’s first 12 points came from that trio as it opened the game with a 10-0 run. Southeast Missouri missed its first 10 shots and trailed 12-2 before Erin Bollmann’s layup nearly six minutes into the contest.
The Lady Govs would push their lead to 14 points, 21-7, when junior guard Tiasha Gray hit a layup nine minutes into the game. However, Austin Peay would get mired into an offensive drought – making just two field goals over the next six minutes.
Southeast Missouri (8-14, 1-8 OVC) countered with a 18-5 run over that six-minute span, slashing Austin Peay’s lead to one point, 26-25, with 4:13 left. Rates ended the SEMO run with a layup and senior Kristen Stainback hit a three-pointer on the next possession to quickly push the lead back to six points. Austin Peay then closed the half with a 7-0 run and had a 38-27 halftime advantage.
Both offenses struggled in the second half with Southeast Missouri making just 36 percent (13-of-36) of its shots while Austin Peay converted on only 30 percent (10-of-33) of its attempts. However, the Lady Govs went 12-of-16 (75 percent) at the free-throw line while Southeast Missouri made just 4-of-8 (50 percent) from the stripe.
In addition to the triple-post’s output, Stainback chipped in 14 points. Gray battled an off-night on the offensive end, finishing with just eight points, but had eight assists, six rebounds and three steals.
Bollman and Jasmine Robinson each had 13 points to lead Southeast Missouri. Yelena Rosado added 10 points while Connor King grabbed 10 rebounds.
UT MARTIN 95, MURRAY STATE 85
MURRAY, Ky. - The University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team had to look no further than Ashia Jones as the standout sophomore tied the program’s single-game scoring record with a 44 point performance to down Murray State 95-85 on Saturday evening.
The Skyhawks (13-9, 9-0 OVC) pushed their unbeaten streak to nine games, just one win shy of tying the program’s best start in school history. Three players scored in double figures for the Skyhawks while the team shot 49.3 percent from the floor. Jones became the third player in program history to score 44 points, joining the dynamic duo of Heather Butler (twice) and Jasmine Newsome in the record books.
The night marked the first 40-point performance for Jones while notching the sixth game this season with 30 points or more. Jones was joined in double figures by Jessy Ward with 17 points while Tiara Caldwell notched her fifth consecutive game in double figures with 15 points.
Murray State (5-17, 0-9 OVC) saw four players score in double figures, led by the play of Julia Fox who tallied 20 points. Keiona Kirby was close behind with 19 points while LeAsia Wright (18 points) and Netanya Jackson (11 points and 10 rebounds) filled up the stat sheet for the Racers.
The Skyhawks would waste little time taking control of the game, jumping out to a 13-3 run before the first media timeout. The duo of Jones and Ward would combine to score 11 of the team’s 13 points during the run.
The Racers would finally snap the run at the 15:33 mark off a three-pointer from Fox. Back-to-back three-pointers by Wright and Fox within 40 seconds would trim the lead to 17-12 with just over 13 minutes to play in the first. Another jumper by Wright and a pair of free throws by Ajee Smith would get the game as close at one point, capping off a 10-0 run for the Racers.
Another trifecta by Ward would snap the Racers run following the second media timeout. The Skyhawks would proceed to outscore the Racers 12-4 over the following four minutes of play, seeing the trio of Jones, Ward and Chelsea Roberts all contribute offensively during the span.
A 6-0 run for the Skyhawks would be snapped by Ke’Shunan James’ eighth point in the previous 10 minutes. The margin would stick at six points but a personal foul in conjunction with a technical on James would balloon the lead to 10 points following two free throws by Haley Howard and a jumper by Karisma Tyson.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Ward and Katie Schubert along with a jumper by Jones would give the Skyhawks a 15-2 run and a 19 point lead in the final minutes of play. UT Martin would take a 47-31 lead into the break as Jones led all scorers with 18 points while Ward tossed in 14 points as well. Wright led Murray State with 10 points at the break while Fox and James tallied eight points each.
Murray State would outscore the Skyhawks in the opening four minutes of the second half, due in large part to back-to-back three-pointers by Fox from the left wing. Taking a 6-0 run by Fox into the first media, the Skyhawks were outscored 15-12 during the span including nine points from Jones to reach the 20 point plateau for the 11th time in the last 13 contests.
The Racers would outscore the Skyhawks 20-19 over the following few minutes as well, as three players moved into double figures for the home squad as Kirby, Fox and Wright all had 17 points at the under-eight media timeout. Jones would also tally her sixth 30 point outing of the season during the span as well.
The Skyhawks would outscore the Racers 12-10 over the ensuing media break, seeing Jones become just the fourth player in school history to reach the 40 point plateau and first since Butler accomplished the feat on March 1, 2014 against Austin Peay.
A free throw shot by Wright with 40 seconds to play would cap off the night’s scoring as UT Martin picked up the 95-85 victory. The win is the Skyhawks ninth consecutive victory.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 63, TENNESSEE STATE 50
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Jacksonville State women's basketball team registered its 15th win of the season for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign with a convincing 63-50 win on the road at Tennessee State on Saturday in Ohio Valley Conference action on Saturday evening.
JSU now has won three consecutive OVC contests and moved to 6-4 in the league. The 13-point win in Music City also snapped a three-game losing skid in conference games on the road. JSU opened the month of January with a win at SIU Edwardsville and closed the first month of the year with an important road win. Jax State has now won two straight from the Lady Tigers, who fall to 8-12 overall and 5-4 in OVC play. TSU ended the three-game homestand with a trio of losses to Belmont, UT Martin and JSU. The 13-point win is the largest margin of victory over the Blue and White on its home floor since an 82-47 win on January 30, 2006. The win also snapped a three-game losing streak to TSU in games played at the Gentry Center. The last time JSU turned in a double-digit road win in the OVC was back in December of 2007 as it won at UTM, 71-58.
TSU entered the contest averaging over 66 points per game, but the Lady Tigers never sniffed that mark with solid defense from JSU and shooting woes in the second half. TSU closed out the game hitting just 2-of-16 from the field and did not get a basket in the final 3:05 of the game. After JSU saw its three-point, 33-30, lead diminish and trail by as many as four points, 39-35, after a three-point basket by TSU's Rachel Allen, JSU had back-to-back jumpers on two straight trips to even the contest. After the two teams traded three pointers to tie the game for the sixth and final time, senior Candace Morton connected on a jumper at the 12:27 mark to give the Gamecocks the lead - one of which they would not relinquish the rest of the way.
Including Morton's basket, the Red and White would put together a 14-3 scoring run over a six-minute span that would be capped off by one of two critical three-point baskets by senior Courtney Strain. Strain's basket gave JSU its first double digit lead of the contest. TSU would get as close as eight points after a trey by Jemilah Leonard with 4:24 left in the game. From the start of the run to the final buzzer, JSU limited the Lady Tigers to eight points over the final 12:50. TSU was 7-of-29 from the field in the second half, while JSU was slightly better at 12-of-28 in the final 20 minutes.
Jax State's second half was fueled by junior Destany McLin's 12 points. In the second half, the Athens, Alabama-native was 5-of-9 from the field and finished with a game-high 16 points. McLin has now scored in double figures in 16 of the 22 games this season and nine in the 10 OVC contests, including the last eight games. Morton paced the Gamecocks in the opening half with 11 of her 14 points.
The Jax State bench was a contributor as it accounted for 25 of the 63 points. Sophomore Kelly Naughton matched her career high with eight first half points, including a pair of treys. Freshman Gretchen Morrison also equaled her career high with nine points, all coming from long range. Her scoring came at a critical time as she silenced a 13-2 TSU scoring fun to help JSU erase TSU's largest lead of seven points. Senior Miranda Cantrell did not get in the scoring column, but led the Gamecocks with seven rebounds. JSU had the rebounding edge, 41-40.
For the last three games, the Gamecocks have been solid from three-point range with eight or more treys in the last three games. After knocking down nine on Wednesday against Eastern Kentucky, JSU drilled eight from behind the arc. In the last four games, JSU has made 33 from beyond the arc, while limiting the opposition to just 15 made-treys. TSU, who led the OVC with 11.4 steals per game was held to four against JSU.
TSU had three players in double figures, led by Imani Davis' 11 points. Chelsea Hudson and Allen added 10 points each.