SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Southeast Missouri 88, Murray State 66
@UT Martin 91, Austin Peay 63
@Belmont 57, Morehead State 56
@Jacksonville State 67, Tennessee Tech 58
@Tennesse State 86, Eastern Kentucky 74
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 88, MURRAY STATE 66
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Jasmine Robinson scored a career-high 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting to lead Southeast Missouri (10-16, 3-10) to an 88-66 victory over Murray State (7-19, 2-11) Saturday afternoon at the Show Me Center. Olivia Hackmann added 18 points, which tied her career-best scoring performance and Brianna Mitchell had a season-high 13 points.
For the game, Southeast shot 52 percent (34-for-66) from the floor while holding Murray to 30 percent (17-for-56) from the field and 19 percent (4-for-21) from 3-point range.
Southeast outscored the Racers 42-22 in the paint and 17-7 off turnovers.
The Redhawks tied the game 6-6 just over three minutes into the and the teams then traded baskets and drew even at 12-12 on a layup by Murray's Ke'Shunan James two minutes later.
The score was again tied at 16-16 with 12:26 remaining in the first half before the Redhawks went on a 17-2 run over the next 5:30. Robinson scored six points and Bollmann added five during the run.
Southeast added a 6-0 run to open up a 41-23 lead with 2:06 left before intermission.
The Redhawks led 43-29 at halftime, paced by Robinson's 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting during the first 20 minutes. Erin Bollmann added seven points while Brianna Mitchell contributed six.
As a team, Southeast shot 53 percent (18-for-34) from the floor and 38 percent (3-for-8) from 3-point range in the opening half. The Redhawks outscored Murray State 20-10 in the paint during that span.
Defensively, The Redhawks limited the Racers to 29 percent shooting (7-for-24) from the floor and 17 percent (2-for-12) from beyond the arc in the first half. James had 11 points and six rebounds for the Racers at the break.
In the second half, Southeast opened on a 4-0 run before Murray answered with a 6-0 run of their own to pull within 10 at 47-37 with 16:33 left.
The Racers trimmed the margin to single digits at 49-40 with 15:39 remaining on a free throw by Netanya Jackson.
That was as close as the game would get as Southeast went on a 9-0 run to increase the lead to 58-40 with 11:49 left to play.
Following baskets by Brianna Mitchell, Allyson Bradshaw, Olivia Hackmann and Yelena Rosado, the Redhawks led 70-47 with 8:30 remaining.
Murray State cut the lead to 76-63 before Hackmann drained a triple with 2:39 to play.
Southeast closed the game on a 12-3 run as Robinson eclipsed her previous career-high of 26 points vs. North Texas on Nov. 19, 2012 while playing for Alabama. She added eight rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Hackmann grabbed six boards and also dished out two assists and grabbed a steal. Bollmann finished with nine points, six rebounds and three steals.
Murray State's Ke'Shunan James notched her second double-double of the season coming off a team-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. LeAsia Wright added 14 points, while going 10-for-11 from the charity stripe. Netanya Jackson was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, while the team was 28-for-33.
BELMONT 57, MOREHEAD STATE 56
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - -- The Belmont women's basketball team (11-15, 8-5 OVC) held off a scrappy Morehead State (11-14, 7-5 OVC) on Saturday afternoon in the Curb Event Center, picking up its seventh win in eight outings. The Bruins defeated the Eagles, 57-56, to improve to 8-5 in conference play.
The teams traded baskets for the first four minutes before senior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.) drained the first of a trio of first half three pointers to open a 7-0 run by Belmont. A pair of jumpers in the lane by sophomore Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) gave BU a 17-11 advantage by the 13:46 mark.
A three minute scoring drought by the Eagles allowed BU to use a 7-0 flurry, with baskets coming from seniors Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) and Jordyn Luffman-Hartsfield (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.), to go up by 11, 24-13, by the 9:43 mark. The Bruins continued to use a tough defensive effort to keep Morehead State off the scoreboard and completely out of an offensive rhythm.
The effort was so stringent, the Eagles would only be able to score a field goal once over a nearly six minute span to close the half. Another trey by Carroll gave BU its biggest lead of the half, 16 points, 38-22, with 30 seconds left. The absolute offensive silence by the Eagles was finally halted with a free throw with three seconds remaining sending the teams to the locker rooms separated by 15, 38-23.
The Eagles netted two quick baskets to open the second stanza, hoping to build momentum and regain ground. The effort worked and as the Bruins fell silent for four minutes, Morehead State took advantage and used an 8-2 run to close the gap to 43-34 with just under 11 minutes left in regulation. Barely two minutes later, the Eagles had moved to within single digits for the first time since early in the first half as Belmont went silent from the floor.
The icy shooting continued to plague BU as Morehead State continued to connect on shots. MSU used a three pointer with six and a half minutes remaining to move within three, 49-46, but the Bruins pushed back. A layup by freshman Sierra Jones (Huntsville, Ala.) led to sophomore Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) turning up the defensive heat with a pair of offensive rebounds around the five minute mark to keep plays alive for the Bruins. She capped the effort with a jumper just inside the arc put to Belmont ahead, 53-46.
The surge was short lived as MSU used an 8-2 run to grab the lead, 56-55, with two minutes left on the clock. Luffman-Hartsfield drove in the lane to score but was fouled and went on to connect on both shots at the charity stripe to give Belmont the 57-56 lead with 15.2 seconds left on the clock.
The Eagles wasted valuable seconds on the clock trying to set up a play and nearly threw the ball away on a final shot attempt. However, the MSU bench was able to call timeout with just two ticks on the clock. The brief strategy session fell short as the shot bounced off the rim as the clock expired, securing Belmont's win by the same score.
Morehead State shot 36.8 percent from the floor, 30.8 percent from three-point range and 58.8 percent from the free-throw line. The Eagles held the advantage in assists, 11-10, and blocks, 5-2.
MSU had only one player in double digits- Shay Steele with 12 points. Eriel McKee led the team with eight rebounds.
BU shot 35.8 percent from the hardwood, 25 percent from behind the three-point arc and 50 percent at the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in rebounds, 45-39. The teams were even in steals with two each.
Belmont saw two players reach double figures led by Carroll's 11 points. Luffman-Hartsfield added 10 points in the win while Tarrence netted nine and Thompson, McCabe and Jones contributed eight points apiece. Thompson led the Bruins in rebounds with a game-high nine.
UT MARTIN 91, AUSTIN PEAY 63
MARTIN, Tenn. - Sophomore forward Ashia Jones became the 14th player in University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball history to reach the 1,000 point plateau as the Skyhawks cruised to a 91-63 victory against Austin Peay.
The Skyhawks (17-9, 13-0 OVC) picked up their 13th consecutive victory of the season while tallying the program’s 20th straight victory against Ohio Valley Conference opponents. As a whole, the Skyhawks haven’t lost an OVC contest since Feb. 7, 2014.
Four players scored in double figures for Skyhawks as Tiara Caldwell and Jones each tallied 18 points. Caldwell’s outing marked a new career-high for the sophomore while her 10 rebounds notched her fifth double-double of the season. On top of Jones’ 18 points on the day, she became the third fastest player to join the 1,000 point club, accomplishing the feat in just her 57th career outing.
Joining the post duo in double figures was the guard play of Jessy Ward with 11 points while Katie Schubert notched 10 points of her own. Haley Howard and Danielle Woolfolk approached double figures in the contest with nine and eight points, respectively.
Austin Peay (9-17, 6-7 OVC) was led in scoring by the league’s No. 2 scoring threat in Tiasha Gray who tallied 25 points while also leading the team in assists and steals. Gray was supported by Kristen Stainback (11 points) and Jennifer Nwokocha (10 points) finishing in double figures.
The Skyhawks would come out of the game on a quick 8-0 run, holding the Lady Govs scoreless for the first three minutes. Caldwell would play big in the opening minutes, scoring six points while grabbing a pair of rebounds as the Skyhawks held a 12-4 lead at the 15:37 mark.
The following few minutes would see both teams struggle from the field, combining to shoot just 2-of-14 from the floor. However, following the tough shooting stretch, both teams would flip the script to combine for 25 points during a five minute stretch.
During the span you would see the Skyhawks hold a 31-20 advantage with just under seven minutes to play in the first half. Schubert would provide a big punch for the Skyhawks, tallying eight points during the span alone.
Austin Peay would narrowly outscore UT Martin by an 8-6 margin over the following three minute stretch. The trio of Gray, Madison Rich and Sydney Gooch would each score during the stretch, moving the aforementioned Gray into double figures.
The Skyhawks would finish the half on a 9-0 run going into the break. Ward, Caldwell, Jones and Monique Jackson would each tally baskets in the final minutes of the first half, taking a 46-28 advantage into the break. Gray would lead all scorers with 10 points in the first half for the Lady Govs while Jones tallied nine points for the Skyhawks.
The Lady Govs would open the half as the aggressors, coming out of the gates on a 10-5 run. Both Gray and Nwokocha would score four points each during the span. They would continue on the offensive heading into the second media timeout, outscoring the Skyhawks 19-11 since the half.
Both teams would continue their even assault with Austin Peay holding a slight advantage with a 9-8 margin during the segment. Gray would reach the 20-point plateau during the span while Schubert joined both Jones and Caldwell in double figures.
With the game reaching a lull, Jones would notch a piece of history at the 4:24 mark of the second half. While at the line, Jones sank the front end of two free throws to become the 14th member of UT Martin’s 1,000 point club. With the achievement coming in just her 57th career game, Jones becomes the third fastest player to reach the century mark, ranking only behind Heather Butler and Jasmine Newsome while slotting one spot in front of Pat Head Summitt.
With the milestone in the rearview mirror, the Skyhawks would use the historic moment as a spark, proceeding to go on a 12-0 run over two minutes, including six points from Jones herself. UT Martin would hold a 77-58 lead with 3:16 to play.
The Skyhawks would close out the game strong, outscoring the Lady Govs 14-5 in the final three minutes of regulation en route to a decisive 91-63 victory. Howard would tally six points during the span to tie a career-high with nine points while Caldwell and Jackson both tossed in four points down the stretch.
TENNESSEE STATE 86, EASTERN KENTUCKY 74
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee State had two players to score at least 20 points in an, 86-74, win over Eastern Kentucky, Saturday night in the Gentry Center.
The victory extended TSU’s winning streak to four games and improved the team’s overall record to 12-12 (9-4 OVC).
Tennessee State trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half but outscored Eastern Kentucky, 48-33, in the second frame.
Briana Morrow led the charge for the Lady Tigers posting a career-high 24 points to go with 13 rebounds for a double-double. I’mani Davis also registered a career-high with 23 points. Chelsea Hudson notched her eighth double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 boards.
Eastern Kentucky was led in scoring by Michaela Hunter’s 19 points while Shelly Harper and Shameekia Murray each tallied 14. Harper also pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double.
TSU got off to a slow start and fell behind, 11-4, early in the half. The Lady Tigers responded with an 8-2 run to pull within one, however. After briefly taking a one-point lead, another scoring drought saw the home team sink into a, 32-19, hole.
Brianna Lawrence knocked down a three-pointer from the corner to end a four and a half minute scoring skid but the Lady Tigers still trailed by double-digits.
A steal and break-away layup by Lawrence cut the deficit down to seven before the Lady Tigers rallied to go into the halftime break only down by three.
TSU scored the first four points of the second half to go ahead, 42-41, and from there, the teams traded buckets.
The Lady Tigers were able to create a small five-point cushion after back-to-back triples from I’mani Davis. The six-point spurt forced an EKU timeout.
The Lady Colonels scored out of the timeout to make the score, 53-50, but consecutive buckets from Briana Morrow followed by a Jayda Johnson layup gave TSU a double-digit lead with 11:04 remaining.
By the 7:35 mark, TSU had built its advantage up to, 70-56. Despite a late push by the opponents, the Lady Tigers maintained a comfortable lead the rest of the way.
TSU outscored EKU, 44-26, in the paint and held a, 57-42, advantage in rebounds.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 67, TENNESSEE TECH 58
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - A run of 10 straight made free throws saved Jacksonville State after a subpar shooting performance Saturday night.
The Gamecocks shot 35 percent from the field en route to JSU's 67-58 win over Tennessee Tech. The win pushes their overall record to 17-8 and 8-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The 17th win marks the most in a season by the program since an 18-10 overall mark in 2003-04. The eighth conference win matches last season's win total while the 10th home win of the season is the most since the 2004-05 team won 11 inside Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Along with the free throws, Gretchen Morrison provided a spark for head coach Rick Pietri off the bench during the second half. The freshman from Southlake, Texas set a career-high with 12 points off of four timely made 3-point baskets.
Candace Morton led all scorers with 18 points and added eight rebounds.
With the score difference at six points with 54 seconds left, the senior made four straight free throws to extend the lead to 10 over the span of the next 36 seconds. Destiny James and Tyler Phelion rounded out the other six made free throw attempts.
The freshman from Mobile, finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in a game-high 37 minutes of action. After being game time decision, Miranda Cantrell played 16 minutes and scored six points to go along with three rebounds.
JSU three-point specialist Briana Benson made three to finish with nine points and three rebounds. Kelly Naughton dished out a season-high seven assists to her teammates during the game.
The Gamecocks forced 20 Golden Eagle turnovers while out-rebounding them by two as well, 34-32.
Pietri helped his players fend off a 16-point performance from Tech's Samaria Howard, 13 points from Yaktavia Hickson and 12 points from Candace Parson. Parson added eight rebounds while T'Keyah Williams added nine points and nine rebounds.