SATURDAY'S SCORES
@UT Martin 78, Southeast Missouri 72
@Eastern Kentucky 64, Morehead State 58
@Eastern Illinois 65, SIUE 62
@Jacksonville State 64, Tennessee Tech 61
Austin Peay 88, @Murray State 59
Belmont 84, @Tennessee State 51
UT MARTIN 78, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 72
MARTIN, Tenn. - For the first time since the 2015-16 season the University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team has reigned supreme over the Ohio Valley Conference, tallying the program’s sixth league title with a 78-72 victory over Southeast Missouri on Saturday afternoon.
The Skyhawks (20-9, 16-2 OVC) added to its championship history by clinching a share of the OVC title, joining the championship campaigns of 1998-99, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16. The win also marked the 10th time in which UT Martin has posted 20 wins in a single season. As a result of a tie-breaker with Belmont, the Skyhawks have earned the No. 1 seed in next week’s OVC Basketball Championship.
Saturday’s game had a tournament feel from the opening tip as the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center buzzed with anticipation and energy throughout the 40-minute contest. While UT Martin held control of the advantage for over 37 minutes of the contest, the game went back-and-forth in the final quarter of play as the score became tied twice and changed hands four times.
Junior forward Chelsey Perry put the finishing touches on her outstanding regular season and potential OVC Player of the Year résumé with a game-high 38 points while tallying six rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks in the contest. Perry finishes the regular season with 479 points scored (26.6 ppg) in OVC play which ranks as the highest single-season scoring output in league play in the past 20 years, surpassing Murray State’s Ashley Hayes who held the previous mark with 450 points back in 2009.
Also posting a strong afternoon was fellow junior forward Maddie Waldrop who tallied 17 points, four rebounds and four blocks to rank as the other Skyhawk in double figures. As a whole, the post combination of Perry and Waldrop combined to score 55 of the team’s 78 points while Kyannah Grant (nine) and Dasia Young (eight) just missed out on double-digit performances.
Southeast Missouri (22-7, 14-4 OVC) answered every blow UT Martin made in the contest with the lead never exceeding nine points. The Redhawks will now advance to the OVC Basketball Championship as the No. 3 seed after the loss. SEMO was led in scoring by Carrie Shephard with 22 points – including six three-pointers – while Roshala Scott (12 points) and Tesia Thompson (11 points) also scored in double figures.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 64, MOREHEAD STATE 58
RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky University’s women’s basketball team knocked off in-state rival Morehead State University, 64-58, Saturday in Richmond.
In head coach Samantha Williams’ first season, EKU finished 11-18 overall and 5-13 in Ohio Valley Conference games. Last season, Eastern won only two games all year, none of which were against Division I opponents, and went 0-18 in conference games.
The Colonels used a 23-3 run in the second quarter on Saturday to take a 34-25 lead over Morehead State. Eastern Kentucky never trailed again.
Morehead State (10-20, 6-12 OVC) cut the Colonel lead to four, 62-58, after a pair of free throws by Tomiyah Alford with 1:27 remaining in regulation. However, a pair of free throws by Teri Goodlett extended the EKU lead to 64-58 and put the Eagles away.
Senior Catie Kaifes scored eight of her 13 points during the 23-3 run with a pair of threes that sparked the Colonels.
Bria Bass led the way for Eastern Kentucky, posting 14 points, four rebounds and four steals. Kaifes grabbed eight rebounds in the win. Goodlett chipped in 12 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Jazzmyn Elston posted a game-high 19 points for Morehead State.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 65, SIUE 62
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Panthers pulled out a 65-62 victory in a nail biter of a regular season finale. Abby Wahl put up the game high 15 points for the Panthers in a defensive battle. Taylor Steele put up 14 points and was the second leading scorer for the Panthers, and came down with six rebounds. The Panthers as a team shot 44% from the field. The Panthers finish the regular season with an 18-11 record (12-6 OVC), as SIUE ends with a 3-25 record (1-16 OVC). This is the 375th win in Matt Bollant's career.
The Panthers started strong against SIUE scoring 17 points. Washington got off to a hot start as she scored 7 early points against the Cougars. Washington also tallied four rebounds in the first. She did a ton for the Panthers at the start of the game. Wahl put up 4 points as well. Wahl was the second leading scorer for Panthers in the first quarter. SIUE couldn't score on the sensational defense of the Panthers. Panthers led 17-11 at the end of the quarter.
Eastern only managed four rebounds in the second quarter, which hurt the scoring of the Panthers. EIU had four turnovers as well and were only able to score 14 points. SIUE scored 15 points and shot 56% on the quarter. The Cougars doubled the rebounding of the Panthers in the quarter.
SIUE went on a cold streak that allowed Eastern to run away with a victory, but wasn't able to pull away in their struggles. The Panthers scored 13 points in the quarter, but added four more turnovers on the day. Steele put up the bulk of the points with 4 in the third quarter. SIUE put up 16 points, but the Panthers led at the end of the quarter. EIU led 44-42 heading in to the final quarter.
The Panthers let SIUE back into the game in the fourth quarter. The Cougars scored 20 points in the final quarter to pull them within three points in the final minute of play. Steele was huge for EIU at the end of the game as she made a clutch layup and free throws to pull the win out for the Panthers.
Mikayla Kinnard led the Cougars with 17 points while Allie Troeckler recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds. Tori Handley added 11 points.
JACKSONVILLE STATE 64, TENNESSEE TECH 61
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Jacksonville State defeated visiting Tennessee Tech, 64-61, to close out the regular-season. The Gamecocks improved to 14-15 overall and 10-8 in OVC play while Tennessee Tech fell to 17-12 overall and 10-8 in league action.
Jacksonville State's Kiana Johnson led the team with 19 points and seven rebounds. Destiney Elliot added 12 points in the win.
Anacia Wilkinson led Tennessee Tech with 19 points to go with seven boards. Kesha Brady had 11 points, including hitting two three-pointers. Abby Buckner brought down 11 boards to go with six points.
AUSTIN PEAY 88, MURRAY STATE 59
MURRAY, Ky. - Austin Peay defeated Murray State, 88-59, on Saturday night. The Governors improve to 18-11 overall and 9-9 in the OVC while the Racers fell to 14-15 overall and 7-11 in league play.
Austin Peay's Ella Sawyer led all players with 26 points, going 6-for-8 from beyond the arc. Neija Crawford added 12 points and seven rebounds.
Lex Mayes led the Racers with 18 points while G'Torria Swinton added 11 points. Lacie Hawthorne nearly had a double-double with nine points and 16 boards.
BELMONT 84, TENNESSEE STATE 51
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Belmont Bruins earned a share of the 2019-20 OVC regular season title with a 84-51 road victory over the Tennessee State Lady Tigers Saturday night at the Gentry Center.
Five Bruins recorded double-figures for the first time since Feb. 21, 2019 to secure their fourth-straight regular season championship.
Sophomore Conley Chinn posted a team-high 16 points for Belmont (21-8, 16-2 OVC), while senior Ellie Harmeyer recorded her 22nd double-double of the year with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Sophomore Maddie Cook racked up a career-high 12 points, as the senior duo of Maura Muensterman and Maddie Wright each tabbed 11 points.
The Bruins outrebounded the Lady Tigers (4-24, 2-16 OVC) by a 50-23 margin, dished out 16 assists and shot a 21-of-28 clip from the free throw line en route to their eighth-consecutive win.
Tennessee State was fueled by the tandem of sophomore Jazmine Young and junior Jaden Wrightsell, who each tallied 10 points and four rebounds. Belmont held the Lady Tigers to a 25.4 field goal percentage and grabbed nine steals.