Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Led by a strong second half performance by junior Molly Ernst (Louisville, Ky.), the Belmont women's basketball team (11-8, 6-1 OVC) rolled by crosstown rival Tennessee State (6-10, 2-3 OVC), 66-54, on Saturday evening at the Curb Event Center. The win, which moves the Bruins to a 6-1 mark in the OVC for first place in the East Division, extends the team's win streak to four straight.
The Lady Tigers hustled to win the tip but the Bruins were first to find the bottom of the net and pushed to an 11-3 lead behind back-to-back three pointers by senior Alyssa Visbeen (Franklin, Tenn.) and junior Molly Ernst (Louisville, Ky.), who capped the flurry with a jumper from the top of the key as TSU fell silent from the floor for more than three minutes. The Lady Tigers slowly got back into the contest and began to chip away at BU's lead but strong defense kept significant distance between the teams.
Suddenly, Belmont went icy from the floor for four minutes but Tennessee State was only able to close the gap to three points, 11-8, during the span. Redshirt sophomore Jordyn Luffman (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) snapped the dry spell, sneaking to the hoop with a backdoor pass from sophomore Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) to put BU by five. The Lady Tigers kept clawing at the BU lead and by the 9:28 mark, they managed to convert a three point play to knot the game at 15. TSU was able to take the lead on the next possession for the first time in the game, 17-15, one minute later.
The Bruins dug in their heels and used a tip-in by redshirt freshman Blair Bryce (Red Oak, Texas) and a drive by senior Jordan Coleman (Orlando, Fla.) to regain the lead, 19-17, with six minutes left on the clock. Baskets by Brooks and Coleman and another three pointer by Ernst expanded Belmont's lead to six, 24-18, with just under two minutes left before the half. Using a strong output at the free throw line, TSU surged down the stretch and used back-to-back triples by Kesi Hess to regain the lead, 26-24 in the final 45 seconds before the break. However, BU would have the final say before time expired. Tarrence picked up a steal with seven seconds remaining on the clock and raced with Coleman toward the Belmont basket, passing the ball back and forth until Tarrence tipped the ball in and was awarded a shot at the line after being fouled during the effort. She went on to net the free-throw, pushing the Bruins to a 29-26 lead at the half.
Ernst opened the second stanza with back-to-back triples from opposite sides of the arc but the Lady Tigers were able to convert a pair of three-point plays to narrow the gap to one, 38-37, four minutes into the game. However that would be as close as they would come for the remainder of the contest. BU began piling on the points. A jumper near the top of the key by Tarrence gave BU its first double digit lead of the half, 51-41, with 8:53 left on the clock.
BU did not let up on its double figure advantage for the remainder of the game, building its largest lead of the night, 62-45, on a converted three-point opportunity by Coleman with 2:59 remaining in regulation. The Lady Tigers were unable to net a field goal for the final six minutes of the game until Hess knocked down a three with 27 seconds left to trim the game to 12 points, 66-54. However, the Bruins returned to superior clock management as time expired to take the contest by the same score.
Tennessee State shot 26.3 percent from the floor, 41.7 percent from three-point range and 67.9 percent from the free-throw line. The Lady Tigers held the slim advantage in rebounds, 41-40.
TSU was led in scoring by Kesi Hess, who netted 21 points. Avery Jones added nine points in the effort. Chelsea Hudson grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Belmont shot 41.8 percent from the hardwood, 44.4 percent from behind the three-point arc, and 80 percent from the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in assists, 14-8, and steals, 11-7. The teams were even in blocks with five apiece.
Ernst netted a game-high 22 points, including knocking down six three pointers. Senior Katie Brooks (Maryville, Tenn.) and sophomore Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) each added 10 points. Senior Jordan (Orlando, Fla.) pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and had a game-high four steals. Redshirt freshman Blair Bryce (Red Oak, Texas) finished with a career and game-high three blocks.
Belmont returns to action on Monday night in the Curb Event Center. The Bruins host Eastern Kentucky beginning at 6 p.m. The contest can be seen on the OVC Digital Network and heard live via the internet on the Bruin Sports Network. Live stats, video and a Twitter feed (@BelmontWBB) will also be available.
