MONDAY'S SCORES
@UT Martin 108, Christian Brothers 82
@Tennessee Tech 77, Western Carolina 58
Belmont 45, @Middle Tennessee 38
@#21 Missouri 59,
SIUE 36
Mississippi Valley 95,
@Austin Peay 89
UT MARTIN 108, CHRISTIAN BROTHERS 82
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team remained unbeaten in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center with a 108-82 victory against Division II foe Christian Brothers on Monday afternoon in front of a rowdy crowd of local students.
The Skyhawks improved to 4-1 in on the season with a strong showing in the program’s annual kid game in front of over 4,000 local students and fans. UT Martin would force 32 turnovers on the day while notching 25 steals. With the high turnover total, the Skyhawks would turn those 32 turnovers into 37 points while scoring 56 of the team’s points in the paint.
UT Martin was led offensively by the play of junior forward Aundrea Adams with 21 points for the second straight contest while notching a season-high six rebounds. Three other Skyhawks scored in double figures while notching career-highs as freshman Damiah Griffin tallied 17 points and six rebounds while Kyannah Grant (14 points) and Brittni Moore (11 points) rounded out the quartet.
For Christian Brothers the game served as an exhibition contest. While the turnovers were high, the Lady Bucs competed throughout the contest to outscore the Skyhawks in the fourth quarter. Kayla Freeman tallied a team-high 19 points for the Lady Bucs off the bench while Brynne Lytle (16 points) and Kelsey Adkins (13 points) also scored in double figures.
UT Martin will hit the road for its next four contests, including a matchup at Big Ten foe Northwestern on Sunday, Nov. 25. Tipoff from Welsh-Ryan Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m.
BELMONT 45, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 38
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Gritty defense and determination helped the Belmont women's basketball team overcome an uncharacteristically cold shooting night and snap a decades-old losing streak against Middle Tennessee State on Monday.
Belmont beat MTSU 45-38 at the Murphy Center for the program's first win in the series since Feb. 11, 1975. The Blue Raiders didn't even recognize their women's basketball team as a Division I sport until the following season. They then reeled off 16 straight wins in the series between 1979 and 2000.
The Bruins (3-1) found their third straight victory in unusual fashion. A team that ranked in the top 10 in the nation in made 3-pointers entering the game, Belmont didn't make its first until the third quarter when Maddie Wright (Chattanooga, Tenn.) finally got a long shot to fall.
It would be the team's only make from three all game. Belmont managed just 17 points in the first half combined.
And still led.
The Bruins' defense was even more stingy in its limiting of MTSU. Despite the low-scoring output in the first half, the Bruins held a 17-16 advantage. The Blue Raiders had multiple scoreless droughts of six minutes or longer Monday, including a frigid stretch of 7:51 without a point in the first half.
Neither team shot better than 25 percent for the game, but Belmont turned a narrow second-half advantage into a 10-point lead with four minutes remaining on the strength of its free-throw shooting. Nearly half of the team's total points came at the line (22 of 45 points).
Belmont came into the game averaging six made free throws per game.
Darby Maggard was 10-of-10 at the line and led all players with 12 total points. That leaves her four points shy of breaking the school record for career scoring in Belmont's NCAA Division I era with 1,537 career points.
She was one of three players in double figures scoring as Ellie Harmeyer (Kenosha, Wis.) and Wright chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively. Harmeyer notched Belmont's first double-double of the season by adding a career-high 12 rebounds.
Belmont continues its early season road slate by traveling to Highland Heights, Ky., to take on Northern Kentucky on Wednesday. The game is slated for 5 p.m. (CT).
MISSOURI 59, SIUE 36
COLUMBIA, Mo. - SIUE women's basketball took its first loss of the season Monday, dropping a 59-36 game at No. 21 Missouri.
The Cougars fell to 2-1 while the Tigers, coming off their first loss of the season, improved to 3-1 at Mizzou Arena.
SIUE had some positives come out of the game, including winning the battle of the boards 35-33. That included 13 offensive rebounds.
Missouri, which shot 44.7 percent (21-47) from the field, jumped out to a double-digit lead after one period, leading 17-6 after the opening 10 minutes of play. SIUE struggled from the field for the game, hitting 28 percent of its shots (15-54). And it wasn't until the final minute of the game that the Cougars hit from beyond the arc with three-pointers by Nakiah Bell and Mikia Keith.
Sydney Bauman provided that presence inside with 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting to go along with eight rebounds.
All-American Sophie Cunningham starred for the Tigers with 14 points and 12 rebounds, both of which were game highs.
Missouri scored 21 points off SIUE's 19 turnovers and won the battle in the paint 32-14.
TENNESSEE TECH 77, WESTERN CAROLINA 58
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech defeated visiting Western Carolina on Monday night to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Jordan Brock scored a team-high 18 points all of which came from beyond the arc. Kesha Brady came off the bench to also score a team-best 18 points while Anacia Wilkinson added 15 points, five rebounds and two steals.
Gabby Smith led WCU with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Tennessee Tech returns to action on Saturday as it travels to Charleston Southern.
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 95, AUSTIN PEAY 89
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay fell to visiting Mississippi Valley, 95-89, on Monday night. With the loss the Govs fall to 2-3 on the year.
Arielle Gonzalez-Varner led all players with 32 points and 23 rebounds. She was 14-for-23 from the floor. 16 of her 23 rebounds were on the offensive end. Keisha Gregory scored 16 points, including hitting four three-pointers. Nieja Crawford added 11 points to go with six boards.
MVSU was led by LaKendra Bassett with 23 points.
Austin Peay returns to action on Nov. 26 when it hosts Northern Kentucky.