FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Belmont 74, Arkansas State 55
@#18 Kentucky 88,
Murray State 49
Missouri State 68,
SIUE 65
Tennessee Tech 67, @Lipscomb 52
@Ball State 90,
Tennessee State 51
@Eastern Illinois 63, Indiana State 39
BELMONT 74, ARKANSAS STATE 55
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Arkansas State threw its best punches in the third quarter, but the Belmont women's basketball team hit back harder.
Despite its lead slipping to just three points in the second half, the Bruins rallied and ran away with a 74-55 victory over the Red Wolves at the Curb Event Center. The advantage swelled to as many as 23 points in the game's waning minutes.
The win is Belmont's third in a row and boosts the Bruins to 7-3 with only one game remaining on their non-conference slate. Friday's victory was another example of refusing to fold when met eye-to-eye with adversity.
Belmont had held the edge through most of the game by the time it found itself ahead by a dozen, 45-33, midway through the third quarter. But the Red Wolves (5-5) didn't go away. The visitors made six straight shots to whittle the deficit to a single possession, 47-44.
Belmont doubled down on its efforts in the paint thereafter. The Bruins out-rebounded Arkansas State by a 2-to-1 margin down the stretch, cleaning up the glass in the fourth quarter especially. Defensive rebounding – and some timely forced turnovers – helped Belmont answer the ASU run with a 12-1 stretch of its own.
The Bruins poured it on in a 22-point fourth quarter. Maggard and junior Ellie Harmeyer (Kenosha, Wis.) each hit a pair of 3-pointers. Maggard, Harmeyer and Roy all scored 17 points while packing the stat sheet elsewhere as well.
Maggard added a season-high seven assists to her point total. Harmeyer set a career high with five steals and grabbed 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Roy nabbed seven boards to go with four assists and three blocks.
The Bruins blocked seven shots in all, proof of a disciplined defensive approach against an Arkansas State team that led the nation in free throw attempts per game coming into Friday's action.
ASU was 12-of-15 from the line, less than half its usually free-throw output. The Red Wolves averaged 31.8 attempts a game before their run-in with the Bruins.
Belmont travels to nationally ranked [9/9] Tennessee to close out its non-conference schedule a week from Sunday. That game on Dec. 30 will tip off at 1 p.m. (CT).
KENTUCKY 88, MURRAY STATE 49
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Despite leading 18th-ranked Kentucky for most of the first quarter and being tied with the Wildcats at the conclusion of the stanza, the Murray State women's basketball team could not keep up with the Wildcats over the remaining three quarters and fell, 88-49, Friday at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington.
The Racers led for over six minutes in the first and shooting 66.7 percent from the floor in the period. Despite the hot hand in the first, MSU cooled significantly, shooting just 30.5-percent in the second through fourth quarters to finish the game at 39.6 percent. However, despite the shots not falling after the first, the Racers did end the first half outrebounding the Wildcats, 17-14.
Evelyn Adebayo was 7-for-9 from the floor in the game to lead Murray State with 20 points, to go along with a game-high nine rebounds. Brianna Crane was also big for MSU Friday, notching 13 points and eight rebounds.
The Racers will now take a week off for the holiday before returning to action next Friday at eighth-ranked Tennessee. Tip-off from Thompson-Boling Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
MISSOURI STATE 68, SIUE 65
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - SIUE women's basketball fought back from a 10-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter and nearly pulled off the full comeback before falling to Missouri State 68-65 at the Roos Holiday Classic.
Buscher said the Cougars showed a great deal of aggressiveness, notably in the fourth period when the team outscored the Lady Bears 22-15. SIUE hit five of its last six field goals in the game.
SIUE, now 4-6, tied up the game 62-62 with 1:30 to play on a free throw by Christen King, who recorded a career-high 16 points.
Missouri State answered 45 seconds later with a three-pointer by Alexa Willard, only the second three-pointer of the game for the Lady Bears.
After one free throw made by Missouri State's Brice Calip with 22 seconds left, King knocked down a three-pointer to cut the lead to one. Elle Ruffridge's two free throws for the Lady Bears with eight seconds left closed out the scoring.
SIUE bested Missouri State from the field, shooting 42 percent (26-62) to Missouri State's 33 percent (25-75). Missouri State, now 3-7 overall, crashed the boards, pulling down 54 rebounds, including 25 off the offensive glass.
Riana Everidge was the only other Cougar in double figures with 12 points, including nine in the second half.
Sydney Bauman flirted with a triple-double, finishing with eight points, 10 rebounds and a career-high seven blocks. Bauman extended her SIUE career record in blocks to 158 and has 25 this season in 10 games.
Danielle Gitzen paced the Lady Bears with 17 points followed by 14 from Calip.
This concludes nine straight games on the road for the Cougars. SIUE returns to the Vadalabene Center for the first time since the season opener with a Dec. 30 clash against McKendree. Game time for the final game in 2018 for SIUE is 2 p.m.
BALL STATE 90, TENNESSEE STATE 51
MUNCIE, Ind. - In the final game before the Christmas break, the Tennessee State University women’s basketball team fell to Ball State, 90-51, Friday night in Worthen Arena.
After falling behind early, Tennessee State had an uphill battle the rest of the game. TSU matched Ball State point-for-point in the fourth quarter but it was not enough.
Freshman Jazmine Young led TSU in scoring and recorded double-digits for the second consecutive game with 12 points. Sophomore Jaden Wrightsell just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Cebria Outlow pulled down eight boards and had a game-high four steals in the contest.
TSU will have a long break before turning its focus on conference play. The Lady Tigers will face Tennessee Tech in the league opener on Thursday, Jan. 3. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. in Gentry Center.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 63, INDIANA STATE 39
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Karle Pace recorded her eighth consecutive double-figure scoring performance as she poured in a game-leading 18 points in the Panthers 63-39 win over Indiana State Friday night. EIU improves to 5-5 overall while ISU falls to 5-5.
The Panthers jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first minute and a half of the first quarter and held on to the lead for the remainder of the game. Pace was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field including two three-pointers to lead EIU to an 18-8 first quarter.
EIU went on an 11-0 run early in the second quarter led by Taylor Steele and Pace. They combined for nine of EIU's 11 points to give the Panthers a 29-15 lead at the half. Regan Wentland was the Sycamores leading scorer at halftime with six points.
ISU scored their first field goal of the third quarter at the 5:10 minute mark on a three-pointer from Alexis Delgado followed by a lay-up from Ty Battle. Those back-to-back baskets for the Sycamores would get the Panthers lead down to 16, which was their lowest lead of the half.
Seven EIU players scored in the fourth quarter led by Abby Wahl with seven points leading the Panthers to a 63-39 win over the Sycamores.
The Panthers shot 47.9 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three-point range making 7 of their 17 three-point attempts. Steele hit three from the arc, while Pace knocked down two. Jennifer Nehls and Wahl each connected on one.
Pace recorded a season and game best six assists for EIU. Steele was the only other player to record double-figures with 12 points. She also tallied four steals. Grace Lennox finished with nine points, five rebounds, and four assists.
The Panthers dominated the glass over the Sycamores 39-25. Jennifer Nehls grabbed a career high 11 rebounds, while Grace McRae tallied eight.
EIU will be back in action Sunday Dec. 30 for a 4:15 pm game vs. Eureka College in Lantz Arena.
TENNESSEE TECH 67, LIPSCOMB 52
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech defeated Lipscomb, 67-52, in Nasvhille on Friday evening. With the win the Golden Eagles improved to 7-3 on the season.
Jordan Brock led Tech with 14 points while Mackenzie Coleman came off the bench to score 11. Lacy Cantrell also reached double-digits in points with 10. Kentoria Alexander recorded six points and a team-best 10 rebounds.
Jane Deason led Lipscomb with 12 points.
Tennesssee Tech returns to action on Dec. 29 when it host Tennessee-Wesleyan.