THURSDAY'S SCORES
@UT Martin 72, SIUE 64
@Belmont 95, Eastern Kentucky 62
Jacksonville State 59, @Murray State 55
Morehead State 71, @Tennessee State 69
@Austin Peay 53, Tennessee Tech 52
UT MARTIN 72, SIUE 64
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team remained resilient down the stretch to thwart off a late comeback attempt by Ohio Valley Conference rival SIUE on Thursday evening to pull out a 72-64 victory in front of a national television audience on ESPNU.
The Skyhawks (15-12, 11-4 OVC) pushed its season-long winning streak out to seven games while remaining in the running for a top-two seed in the upcoming OVC Basketball Championship. UT Martin would hold an advantage as large as 13 points in the contest and lead for nearly 34 minutes despite SIUE tying the margin twice in the fourth quarter of play. Needing strong play down the stretch, the Skyhawks converted from the line for six consecutive free throws to seal the game.
UT Martin posted three players in double figures, including yet another 20-point performance from Kendall Spray with a game-high 26 points. In addition to being the game’s top scorer, Spray broke the program’s single-season three-point record with three trifectas on the day to push her season total up to 107, surpassing Heather Butler’s previous record of 105 set during the 2012-13 campaign. Along with the strong play of Spray, junior Emanye Robertson tallied 11 points while reigning OVC Freshman of the Week Chelsey Perry tallied 10 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
SIUE (15-11, 12-3 OVC) battled throughout the contest despite shooting below 40 percent for the contest. Senior Lauren White paced the Cougars with 16 points while Donshel Beck and Nakiah Bell both tallied 10 points on the day.
Both teams would exchange blows in the opening quarter of play which featured five ties in the score along with four lead changes. The Skyhawks would finish the quarter on a 9-5 run after the media timeout midway throughout the period as six players for the home squad got in the scoring column. With the run to end the period, UT Martin took a 20-16 lead into the second.
Spray would open the second quarter on a quick run after Spray opened the period with back-to-back three-pointers to not only tie the program’s single-season three-point record, but set a new mark of her own. After a trio of trifectas by Spray in the quarter, the Skyhawks would go scoreless for almost three minutes of action as the Cougars responded by trimming the margin to six points. Despite the scoreless stretch, UT Martin finished the half strong with back-to-back three-pointers to take a 40-28 advantage into the break.
SIUE came out of the halftime break looking to cut into the margin, beginning the period on a 10-3 run – punctuated by a four-point play by Bell to trim the team’s deficit to four points. The Cougars would ultimately trim the deficit to as close as one point but could not take the lead as the Skyhawks countered with a 7-0 run of their own to push the margin back out to 54-50 after three.
The intensity would increase in the fourth quarter as SIUE tied the game for the first time since the first quarter on an offensive putback by Allie Troeckler with 2:55 to play. With the game knotted up, Spray would answer with an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Skyhawks the lead back on the following possession, one which they would not relinquish.
Ultimately, the Skyhawks would convert its final six free throw attempts down the stretch to preserve the victory and move within a game of second place in the league standings
BELMONT 95, EASTERN KENTUCKY 62
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - No. 24 Belmont women's basketball made a statement in its debut as a nationally-ranked squad, routing Eastern Kentucky, 95-62, on Thursday night inside the Curb Event Center. The veteran duo of Kylee Smith (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Darby Maggard (Larwill, Ind.) combined for 49 points as the Bruins notched their 40th straight OVC victory.
The team turned in a complete performance, shooting 50 percent from the floor and draining 14 threes while only relinquishing two turnovers to extend their winning streak to 16 games. Maggard led the scoring efforts with 26 points, going 6-for-9 from beyond the arc. She was joined by Smith's 23 points along with a pair of 12-point outings from senior center Sally McCabe (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) and junior guard Jenny Roy (Brentwood, Tenn.). Roy also collected 10 boards for her fourth double-double of the season.
Eastern Kentucky (8-16, 5-10) was charged by 22 points and nine rebounds from Abby Wright. She was followed by A'Queen Hayes (15 points) and Shay Solomon (10 points, five assists) as the Colonels were held to 37 percent shooting on the night. Belmont (25-3, 15-0) also edged EKU in rebounds (40-32), points in the paint (32-24) and bench points (22-5).
Belmont fired on all cylinders in the opening half, throwing in 11 three-pointers to take a commanding lead from the get go. The Bruins started their frenzy by making their first four scoring possessions of the game in the form of a three-point play. With three different players draining a triple, the squad jetted out to a 14-5 advantage in the first five minutes of play. Eastern Kentucky regained composure and sunk their next seven consecutive field goals to make it an eight-point game at the break, 29-21, in favor of BU.
Junior guard Maura Muensterman (Evansville, Ind.) joined in on the long-range shooting with a three of her own to start the second stanza, marking the team's seventh of the game. EKU remained within striking distance until Maggard went on an 11-0 run of her own over a two-minute span that featured three treys. Hayes ended the run with a three and 2:30 remaining in the half, but the damage was done as the Bruins led 50-30. Collectively, the squad posted a 19-6 run to close out the half and go up, 55-33, on the Colonels.
The third quarter got out to a slower start with Roy tallying the Bruins first points nearly three minutes into the frame while EKU poured in seven during the same span. The lull would quickly come to a halt as Maggard buried a deep three that sparked a 9-0 run for Belmont. After a Colonel jumper interrupted the scoring streak, the Bruins got back on track pouring in another six unanswered points to take a 71-44 lead on Eastern Kentucky with 2:35 left in the period. BU held a 76-48 advantage with the fourth quarter remaining.
Muensterman once again hit a three-pointer to open the final stanza of play, recording the squad's 14th of the game. From then on the Bruins continued to lay it on the Colonels, including sinking six free throws down the stretch. Sophomore forward Maddie Wright (Chattanooga, Tenn.) rolled in Belmont's 91st point with 2:29 remaining in the game, pushing BU past the 90-point threshold for the sixth time this season. Junior guard Hannah Harmeyer (Kenosha, Wisc.) put on the final touches by sinking a pair of shots from the charity stripe, keeping her perfect at the line this season (8-for-8).
JACKSONVILLE STATE 59, MURRAY STATE 55
MURRAY, Ky. - The Jacksonville State women's basketball rallied in its second-straight, fourth-quarter comeback on the road Thursday evening at Murray State, 59-55, to secure its spot in next month's Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
After three-straight 11-point periods, Jax State (16-10, 10-5 OVC) broke out for a 26-point fourth quarter to outscore MSU, 26-15. The win earned head coach Rick Pietri his 72nd victory while patrolling the Gamecock sidelines, matching him with Richard Mathis (1987-1990) for the second-most wins in program history.
The victory also cemented the third-most wins in a single-season in the program's Division I history, trailing only the 2003-04 (18) and 2015-16 (19) squads. It's just the third time since joining the OVC in 2004 that the Gamecocks have won double-digit league games.
Freshman Taylor Hawks finished with a team-high 14 points, her fifth double-digit performance in the last six games. Senior Tyler Phelion also reached double figures with 10 points to go along with five boards and five assists.
JSU led 11-10 at the end of the first quarter, but a four-minute scoring drought to begin the second saw MSU take a 16-11 advantage. The Racers would lead for more than 28 minutes in the contest, including a 23-22 edge at halftime.
With 2:31 remaining in the third, MSU grabbed its largest lead of the night, 38-30, and took a seven-point advantage into the final quarter. It marked the third-straight game JSU trailed entering the final period.
Junior transfer Brianna Perry gave an early spark off the bench with a three to make it a 40-36 contest. Overall JSU was 7-of-30 from beyond the arc, after an 0-for-13 day against Tennessee State last Saturday.
Kiana Johnson drained a couple of treys in the fourth, her second of which propelled JSU ahead, 46-45, with 5:54 remaining. The two sides battled back-and-forth before a 4-0 run by JSU separated a 51-all deadlock with 1:16 on the clock. Hawks and Morgan Towells hit JSU's final free throws down the stretch to secure the 59-55 win.
Ke’Shunan James scored 24 of MSU’s 55 points on 7-of-19 shooting, while Bria Bethea added 10 points.
MOREHEAD STATE 71, TENNESSEE STATE 69
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Morehead State women's basketball (19-9, 10-5 Ohio Valley Conference) picked up its 11th road win of the season with a 71-69 victory at Tennessee State (5-19, 3-12 OVC) on Thursday evening at the Gentry Center.
Despite leading for just over 10 minutes of game time, the Eagles outscored the Lady Tigers in all but one quarter of play. The first period ended in a 17-16 advantage for Morehead State, led by four points and four rebounds from Todd.
Tennessee State commanded a 38-33 lead at halftime, however, after lighting up 4-of-6 (.667) attempts from three-point range in the second quarter. A back-and-forth third stanza placed the Eagles on the wrong end of a 54-51 deficit.
The fourth quarter came down to the wire, with Tennessee State on top 69-68 with 48 seconds to go on a made jumper by leading scorer Tia Wooten. Morehead State's Darianne Seward brought the ball down the court on the next possession, finding Todd down low for an easy look at the basket. Todd's layup with 35 seconds left gave the Eagles a one-point lead, but the Lady Tigers had a full shot clock with which to work on the other end.
Tennessee State's Taylor Roberts finally drove to the basket with eight seconds remaining, but was met at the rim by Todd for the 6-foot-2 forward's sixth block of the contest. TSU was forced to foul coming out of the ensuing timeout, permitting Seward to sink 1-of-2 at the line. The Lady Tigers were allowed one last look at the basket, but Kaliya Griffin's desperation heave landed well short as time expired.
Brooke Todd's six blocks equaled a career-high, complemented by eight points, nine boards, and three assists. Seward finished with seven points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Four Eagles scored in double-figures, led by 19 points, four rebounds, four assists, one block, and three steals from Miranda Crockett, who did not miss a minute of action. Reining OVC Newcomer of the Week Erin Blaine notched 16 points, seven boards, one assist, and one blocked shot.
Sophomore reserve Breuna Jackson scored 11 points on 4-of-5 (.800) shooting, adding a rebound and two steals to her evening. Senior Eriel McKee logged 10 points, nine rebounds, one assist, one block, and a game-high four steals.
Wooten led Tennessee State with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Maxine Beard added 15 points while Roberts chipped in 12.
AUSTIN PEAY 53, TENNESSEE TECH 52
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University women's basketball team topped Tennessee Tech, 53-52, in an aggressive matchup Thursday night.
Austin Peay (15-11, 8-7 OVC) came out strong, shooting 53.8 percent from the floor, maneuvering smoothly through the Golden Eagles full court pressure. Both teams were looking to go inside early, which led to early foul trouble for Brianne Alexander, but the Govs pressure dribble penetration yielded 12 points in the paint for the first period.
Kelen Kenol scored four early points for the Governors off the bench, and pulled down two defensive rebounds. With less than 15 seconds remaining in the quarter, which stood knotted at 12, Nieja Crawford found space in the lane to get a shot off, giving Austin Peay a two-point advantage.
Keisha Gregory scored four points in a choppy second quarter, going 4-for-4 from the foul line, and pulling down three rebounds, but neither team could find a consistent offensive rhythm, leaving the game tied at 23 going into halftime.
Jordan Brock led Tennessee Tech with 13 points while Yaktavia Hickson added 12.
Out of the break, the Governors went back and forth with Tennessee Tech, as the lead changed seven times with four ties. The Govs struggled to take care of the ball, but Gregory and Falon Baker cleaned the glass for the Govs, pulling down four and two rebounds respectively in the third quarter.
Austin Peay quickly erased Tennessee Tech's four-point margin, going blow for blow with the Golden Eagles down the stretch. Despite having to leave the game briefly after a hard fall, Alexander showed her ability to close games, scoring 10 points in the final period to go along with four rebounds.
With mere seconds remaining in the game, Keisha Gregory iced two free-throw shots, giving the Govs a one-point edge. Golden Eagle guard, Abby Buckner, was able to get a contested shot off before the buzzer, but it clicked off the side of rim. In a low scoring affair, the Governors secured a 53-52 win over Tennessee Tech.
Alexander led all scorers with 14 points behind her explosive fourth quarter, while pulling down four rebounds. Gregory also scored in double digits with 13 points, just one rebound short of a double double. Bri Williams was selfless as she ran the offense, dishing out four assists and collecting two steals.
Kelen Kenol added seven points off the bench, with Baker and Brianah Ferby each posting six points. Baker pulled down five rebounds and dished out four assists to pad her mid-week stat line.