Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A fever pitched second half effort was not enough to help the Belmont women's basketball team (4-7, 1-1 A-Sun) topple Chattanooga (4-8) on Thursday afternoon at the Curb Event Center. The Bruins were edged in the final 90 seconds of regulation and fell, 66-61, in their non-conference finale.
After an unusually slow start, the Bruins were able to find the bottom of the net with a jumper from junior Haley Nelson (Scottsboro, Ala.) and a three-point play was completed by senior Shaunda Strayhorn (Dyersburg, Tenn.) to knot the score at five. Chattanooga was able to pull away by six, 13-7, with an 8-0 run but a skyhook by Strayhorn got BU back into the mix offensively with 12:42 left on the clock. A jumper from the left elbow by sophomore Kristin Nash (Stone Mountain, Ga.) moved the Bruins to within four, 15-11, just over two minutes later.
Belmont continued to keep the contest within two possessions for the majority of the latter part of the half. The Bruins pushed and began to surge in the final four minutes, led by Nelson. She netted a pair at the free-throw line to open an 11-4 run that closed the gap to one, 28-27, with 1:24 on the clock before halftime. The Mocs would net one at the line and tried to use the clock to their advantage but junior Cacy Burtnett (Cleveland, Tenn.) was fouled with 1.3 seconds remaining. She hit the back half of the pair to send the teams to the locker rooms with UTC leading by one, 29-28.
BU opened the second stanza shooting at a 60 percent clip in hot pursuit of their first lead of the half. Freshman Molly Ernst (Louisville, Ky.) nailed a shot from the right corner to make it a one-point game, 31-30, at the 18:35 mark. The Mocs were able to rebuild a four-point lead by the 14 minute mark but junior Tristan Daniel (Waynesboro, Tenn.) drilled three at the stripe including two attempts earned from a UTC bench technical foul. The gap was short lived as Daniel netted a trey from the right side to make it a one-point game again barely one minute later.
The Bruins knotted the game at 45 behind a triple from Nash and went on to take the lead with a second one from Strayhorn, 48-46, with 8:46 remaining in regulation. The lead changed hands four times over the next four minutes before Strayhorn drove in the lane for a lay-in to tie the score at 54 with just 3:40 left on the clock. The Mocs knocked down two crucial three pointers to go up by five, 59-54, as the clock ticked into its final 90 seconds of regulation. Unfortunately, Belmont missed two shots from behind the arc that would come back to haunt them in the waning seconds in their effort to force an extra period. Despite the efforts of Strayhorn and classmate Tereva Moore (Memphis, Tenn.) in the final 25 seconds, the Bruins would only be able to get as close as five, falling 66-61 to Chattanooga.
UTC shot 37.5 percent from the floor, 29.6 from behind the three-point arc and 69.6 percent from the free-throw line. The Mocs held the advantage in rebounds, 36-34, blocks, 2-1, and steals, 6-3.
Chattanooga was led in scoring by Tenisha Townsend, who netted 18 points. Whitney Hood and Bailey Dewart also reached double figures, adding 15 and 11 points, respectively.
Belmont shot 40.4 percent from the hardwood, 30 percent from three-point range and 72.2 percent from the charity stripe. The Bruins and UTC were even in assists at 12 apiece.
The Bruins were led in scoring by Strayhorn's 17 points. Nelson, who was one rebound short of her second consecutive double-double with a team-high nine, also reached double digits, adding 12 points in the effort. Daniel and Nash netted nine points apiece.
Belmont returns to action on January 3 for its first Atlantic Sun road series. The Bruins will take on Florida Gulf Coast beginning at 4 p.m. CT. The game can be heard live via the internet on the Bruins Sports Network and seen live on ASun.TV.
