WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Belmont 70, Murray State 65
@SIUE 65, Southeast Missouri 57
BELMONT 70, MURRAY STATE 65
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont women's basketball poured in 28 points in the final frame to come-from-behind and defeat Murray State, 70-65, Wednesday night inside the Curb Event Center. The Bruins used clutch free throws down the stretch to put the Racers away for good in the final seconds.
For the second consecutive game a Bruin neared a triple-double, this time senior Sally McCabe (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) compiled 14 points, 12 rebounds and a career-best eight blocks. In addition to McCabe, a trio of players also triggered double-digit outings with junior Darby Maggard (Larwill, Ind.) pouring in 14 of her 16 points in the final quarter to lead the team in scoring. Kylee Smith (Alpharetta, Ga.) (15 points) and Maura Muensterman (Evansville, Ind.) (12 points) rounded out the scoring efforts.
Murray State (6-12, 2-5) was carried by Bria Bethea's 20 points and Ke'Shunan James' 19 who collectively combined for more than half of the team's total points. James also tallied nine boards and four assists for the Racers who shot 40 percent from the floor.
The Bruins first four buckets came from three-point range as Smith and Muensterman each drained a pair in the opening four minutes of the game to jump out to a quick 12-6 lead. McCabe got it done on the other end, swatting a Racer guard to allow the Bruins another possession. The squad then went cold as the Racers scored seven unanswered to come within one, 12-11, at the 3:21 mark. Sophomore guard Maddie Wright (Chattanooga, Tenn.) kept the Bruins alive after hitting consecutive jumpers to maintain BU's lead and give them a 18-15 advantage at the break.
It was a different story to start the second stanza as Murray State hit its first six field goals to take the Racers first lead of the game, 29-24, with 6:10 left in the half. Smith sunk her third trey to keep the Bruins in it, making it a two-point game. Belmont then suffered a three-minute scoring drought to close out the half, allowing MSU to go up, 35-29, courtesy of a pair of jumpers from James.
McCabe initiated Belmont's offense in the opening minutes of the third quarter on a pair of buckets. Senior guard Sierra Jones (Huntsville, Ala.) went on to display her speed, converting three consecutive fast breaks to knot the game up, 39-39, with the help of a scoreless drought that spanned more than two minutes for the Racers. While the veterans helped BU claw its way back into the game, rookie Caitlyn Yost (Lewisburg, Tenn.) sunk a baseline three-pointer that continued to spark the Bruins momentum. For the second consecutive frame Belmont struggled to find the bottom of the net in the closing minutes, going 0-for-4 with three turnovers in the last 3:45 to allow Murray State to hold a narrow lead, 45-42.
Once again McCabe sparked BU's energy as she rejected her fourth shot of the game and followed it up with a lay-in on the squad's next trip down the court. They scored two buckets in the opening minute to take their first lead since the beginning of the second, going up, 46-45, with 8:58 left in the game. From there on, the frenzy ensued as both squads traded runs for the rest of the game. Maggard single handedly ignited an 8-0 run that put the Bruins ahead by as many as eight before Murray State responded with a 9-2 run of its own. Up by one with less than a minute remaining, Belmont went 7-for-8 at the line to go on and win the game, 70-65.
SIUE 65, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 57
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The SIUE Cougars finished with a flourish and celebrated a come-from-behind win Wednesday night at the Vadalabene Center.
They used some late lightning to strike down Southeast Missouri 65-57 in an Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball. SIUE improved to 9-9 overall and 6-1 in the OVC. SEMO dropped to 8-11 and 3-4.
The Cougars used a 16-1 spree in the final five minutes to overturn a 54-48 deficit and gain a 64-55 advantage before settling for their nine-point win. Donshel Beck tallied a game-best 20 points and moved to 11th on the SIUE all-time scoring list with 1,237 points.
Lauren White chipped in with 13 points, and freshman Zaria Whitlock added 11 points, all in the second half. Sydney Bauman contributed 10 points, while Beck logged six assists.
SIUE, trailing 26-23 at half, tied the game four times in the third quarter – the last one at 38-38. SEMO carried a 46-41 advantage into the fourth quarter and led 54-48 with 5:15 remaining.
That's when the Cougars went to work.
Whitlock and Beck combined for six points to get within 54-53 of the Redhawks. After SEMO free throws, SIUE's Jay'Nee Alston connected on a three-pointer from the top of the key to shoot the Cougars in front 56-55 with 3:05 to go.
The Cougars never lost the lead down the stretch. Whitlock's three-point play widened the Cougars' lead to 59-55, and they tacked on five more points before the Redhawks scored their final basket.
Beck thoroughly enjoyed the way the Cougars surged in the closing minutes.
SIUE made 20 of 58 shots, or 35 percent, and hit 5 of 18 from three-point range. The Cougars converted 20 of 28 free throws and outrebounded SEMO 40-37. The Redhawks sank 21 of 59 shots, going 2 of 14 on 3-pointers. They made 13 of 16 free throws.
Tesia Thompson led the Redhawks off the bench with 16 points.