SATURDAY'S SCORES
SIUE 66, @Eastern Illinois 56
Morehead State 70, @Jacksonville State 66
@Austin Peay 74, Southeast Missouri 71
UT Martin 70, @Murray State 49
Eastern Kentucky 71, @Tennessee Tech 67
SIUE 66, EASTERN ILLINOIS 56
CHARLESTON, Ill. - CoCo Moore became the 23rd player in school history to score 1,000 career points at SIUE as the Cougars closed out the regular season with a 66-56 victory at Eastern Illinois.
In typical fashion for the Cougar senior, she stole the ball with 50 seconds to play in the game and took it in for the layup to hit the 1,000 mark. It was the 196th steal of her collegiate career.
The Cougars, completing the regular season with a 17-12 mark overall and a 12-4 record in Ohio Valley Conference play, must wait for the rest of the OVC to finish its games before learning its opponent for the first round of the league tournament set to start this week. The field is expected to be announced Sunday afternoon after the conclusion of the Tennessee State-Belmont game.
Even with SIUE's win, numerous scenarios exist as the Cougars could play Wednesday or Thursday in the opening round of the tournament as the No. 2 seed or the No. 3 seed. That will be determined based on the outcome of the Belmont-Tennessee State game Sunday at noon. If Tennessee State wins, SIUE is the No. 2 seed. If Belmont wins, SIUE is the No. 3 seed. SIUE's opponent will be either the No. 6 seed or the No. 7 seed.
Buscher was pleased to close out the regular season with a victory.
On Eastern Illinois' Senior Day, the Cougars picked up a double-double from Donshel Beck, her sixth of the season. The sophomore forward scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. She shot 8 of 12 from the field.
Shronda Butts joined Moore, who had 16 points, and Beck in double figures with 14 points.
EIU completed the season with a 3-25 record and a 2-14 mark in OVC play. Alece Shumpert led the Panthers with 13 points while Erica Brown and Phylicia Johnson added 11 each.
SIUE dominated the boards with a 50-33 edge over the Panthers. It was the most this season during OVC play and the most by the Cougars since they grabbed 52 two games into the season at Western Illinois.
MOREHEAD STATE 70, JACKSONVILLE STATE 66
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Junior guard Brianna McQueen scored a career-high 30 points as Morehead State women's basketball ended its season on Saturday afternoon with a 70-66 victory over Jacksonville State at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
With the win, the Eagles finish their season 10-20 overall and 4-12 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Jacksonville State finished 10-18 on the year and 5-11 in the OVC.
The Eagles went into the half on a high note with an 8-3 run and only trailed the host Gamecocks, 31-25. The third quarter proved to be an extension of the later second-quarter surge as Morehead State started on a 22-4 run, leading by as much as 12 in the third frame.
McQueen started the drive, hitting a three-point bucket in the first 13 seconds of play and scored 10 points during the stretch. Freshman guard Miranda Crockett added some key buckets to keep the drive alive and collected six points.
The Gamecocks ended the quarter within six but were kept at bay by the final frame. JSU drew within three, but a 7-2 Morehead State run gave the Eagles a 60-52 advantage. MSU would not trail the rest of the way..
McQueen became the second player this season to have a 30-point performance, as she went 12-of-21 from the field, and added a career-high nine rebounds. Crockett finished with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and four rebounds. Junior forward Shay Steele added 10 points, putting her just 104 points away from joining the 1,000-point club as she enters her senior season.
Senior guard Natalie Greenwell finished her career with a six-point performance as she hit a three-point basket from the top of the key early in the fourth quarter to keep JSU from making a late run. She concludes her career with 596 points and 114 made three-point shots.
The Eagles exploited the painted area, outscoring JSU 42-to-28, and the visiting squad forced 16 turnovers, resulting in 19 points off turnovers.
Rayven Pearson and Briana Benson finished with double-doubles for JSU. Pearson scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, as Benson had 10 points and 10 rebounds
UT MARTIN 70, MURRAY STATE 49
MURRAY, Ky. - The University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team closed out the regular season portion of the 2015-16 schedule with a decisive 70-49 victory over Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State on Saturday afternoon.
With the victory, the Skyhawks complete the regular season with a 21-8 overall mark while finishing OVC play at 14-2. The win also clinched the team’s third consecutive outright OVC championship. UT Martin became just the third program in league history to win three or more consecutive outright titles and the first since Tennessee Tech from 1990-92. During the team’s championship run, the Skyhawks have posted a 45-3 mark in league play over the past three years.
Four players scored in double figures for the Skyhawks, led by the career day from junior sharpshooter Jessy Ward. Ward not only tied her previous career-high with seven three-pointers on the afternoon, but tallied a career-high while leading the team with nine rebounds. Senior Haley Howard ranked second in the game with 16 points while
classmate Chelsea Roberts flirted with her second career double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Myah Taylor scored 11 points while senior Katie Schubert tallied five points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals to fill the stat column.
Murray State (11-16, 7-9 OVC) went toe-to-toe with UT Martin for much of the final three quarters of play, due in large part to 13 three-pointers. LeAsia Wright led the Racers with 16 points while Kyra Gulledge tallied four points and 15 rebounds.
The first quarter saw the game go back and forth in the opening minutes, seeing a pair of ties and two lead changes with the Racers leading by as much as three following a three-pointer by Wright at the 7:41 mark. From there the quarter would sway in the direction of the Skyhawks who finished the period on a 19-2 run to take a 25-11 lead into the second behind 20 combined points from Ward and Howard.
Murray State would trim the margin down to single digits midway through the second quarter following a three-pointer from Jasmine Borders to cap a quick 5-0 run. The Skyhawks would respond by pushing the advantage back out to 14 points heading into the halftime break behind 13 combined points from the duo of Roberts and Taylor, including three trifectas. Both Ward and Howard would pace the Skyhawks with 12 first half points while Wright tossed in 13 to lead the Racers. UT Martin would take a 42-28 lead into halftime.
Three consecutive three-pointers from Howard, Schubert and Ward in the opening three minutes would stretch the Skyhawks advantage out to 20 points with 6:30 to play in the third quarter. As a whole, UT Martin would outscore Murray State 16-9 in the period to take a 58-37 advantage into the final quarter of play.
UT Martin would jump out to a 7-0 run to start the fourth quarter, notching the team’s biggest lead of the game at 28 points just 90 seconds into the period. The Skyhawks would turn to its bench to finish out the contest with the OVC Tournament on the horizon. Murray State would make the most of the final period however, trimming the margin to as low as 19 points with 33 seconds remaining in the contest following a three-pointer from Jashae Lee. A final jumper by Taylor just prior to the buzzer would signal the final score with UT Martin picking up its ninth road victory of the season with a 70-49 win.
AUSTIN PEAY 74, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 71
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - On Senior Day, Tiasha Gray wasn’t going to allow Southeast Missouri to spoil the night for her and her four Austin Peay State University senior teammates.
Gray scored 27 points, including what proved to be the game-deciding three-point play with 1:31 left, to lead the Govs to a 74-71 victory against the feisty Redhawks in OVC action in Dave Aaron Arena.
The Lady Govs, who knew they were going to be a part of next week’s OVC tournament after Thursday night, ended the regular season with a 10-19 record, 8-8 in the OVC. It improved APSU to 9-3 at home this season, its best Dunn Center mark since 2003-04, and 7-1 in league home tilts.
It a game that saw the two teams combine for 75 first-half points, both teams shooting 50 percent or better, slow to a defensive battle in closing half as neither shot 40 percent. APSU, however, found a way to build an 11-point fourth-quarter lead, 62-51, on a Tearra Banks short lane jumper with 6:36 left. But from that point on SEMO mounted the pressure, methodically slicing down the lead to four, 66-62, on two Hannah Noe free throws with 3:40 remaining.
Gray answered with a driving layup to push it back to six before Deja Jones knocked down a baseline jumper cut the lead to 68-64 with 2:02 remaining. APSU elected to utilize as much the shot clock as possible before Gray drove the lane, tossing a short shot off the glass while being fouled by Noe with 1:31 left. Gray completed the three-point play with the free throw.
Southeast Missouri battled in the closing minute to cut the deficit to three, 74-71 and, after a five-second call, had the ball with 11 seconds left, but the APSU defense forced Imani Johnson to take a desperation three pointer with two seconds left that fell well short.
Gray, who also had six assists and three steals, was joined in double figure by Sydney Gooch and Beth Rates, each with 10.
Brianna Mitchell led SEMO with 24 while Jone added 20 and Hannah Noh 11.
APSU head coach David Midlick started all four seniors (Gray, Lauren Maki, Shelby Olszewski, Symantha Norton) who were dressed—Jennifer Nwokocha has missed the entire season with a leg injury.
When Gray scored on a layup with 8:07 left in the second quarter, it was her sixth point and pushed her past Gerlonda Hardin (1,863 points) and into second place all-time behind Brooke Armistead.
After scoring the first period’s last seven points to take a 15-14 lead, the Govs continued their scoring rampage, scoring the first seven points to bucket to take a 22-14 advantage. That lead eventually erupted to 18 points after Brianne Alexander scored five points on one Govs trip—she scored inside on one play and was fouled, missed the free throw; grabbed the rebound and scored again, also being fouled, this time making the free throw).
But Southeast hasn’t authored the OVC’s best turnaround without weathering adversity. After regaining their bearings the Redhawks outscored the Lady Govs 15-2 the half’s remainder, with two Noe threes sandwiched around a Corneisha Henderson drive accounting for much of the impetus, to trail only by five, 40-35 at halftime. However, it was Mitchell with 16 points to lead all scorers in half while Gray tallied 11 for APSU.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 71, TENNESSEE TECH 67
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Eastern Kentucky University senior Miranda Maples scored six straight points in the overtime period to help the Colonels to a 71-67 win at the Eblen Center on Saturday.
Prior to Saturday’s win, the Colonels (16-11, 10-6 OVC) clinched the No. 4 seed in next week’s Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium.
Trailing 64-61, Maples drew the foul in the paint sending her to the line for two. Maples connected on both free throws to pull EKU within one.
On the next EKU possession, Maples’ jumper gave the Colonels a one-point advantage at 65-64 with 2:24 left in the bonus period.
Tennessee Tech, however, answered scoring four straight to take a 67-65 lead with 1:45 on the clock.
Maples remained in control of the EKU offense, netting her sixth straight point to even the contest at 67 as junior Michaela Hunter found her for the basket.
The EKU defense held the Golden Eagles scoreless in their final possessions. Junior Jalen O’Bannon came away with a pivotal defensive rebound, leading to a Hunter layup. On TTU’s next possession, O’Bannon forced a Golden Eagle turnover, as Hunter again sank mid-range jumper sealing the win for EKU.
Maples’ steal on the final TTU possession denied the Golden Eagles of the win in regulation.
EKU led for 33:03 of the contest, before a Golden Eagle run in the third cut the lead to 44-42. TTU finally regained the lead in the opening minutes of the fourth, going up 54-52.
A three-pointer from freshman Abby Wright capped a 7-0 EKU run, as the Colonels went on top 58-55.
The Golden Eagles responded with a 5-0 run to close out regulation play and force an overtime period.
Saturday’s overtime improved EKU to 3-0 on the season in overtime play.
O’Bannon led EKU, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds for her league best 15th double-double of the season. Hunter, Maples and Shameekia Murray all scored in double figures for the Colonels marking the second time this season four Colonels have scored in double digits in a contest.
Mariah Dean led the Golden Eagles with 11 points and 13 rebounds.