Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont women's basketball team (12-8, 7-1 OVC) dug in its collective heels once again and pulled off another come from behind victory on Monday evening. The Bruins grabbed the lead midway through the second half and hustled for the 65-49 win over Eastern Kentucky (10-7, 4-2 OVC). The win improves the Bruins to 7-1 for the best record in the OVC.
Eastern Kentucky jumped out to an early 8-2 lead before senior Alyssa Visbeen (Franklin, Tenn.) knocked down a jumper from the top of the key to cut the Lady Colonel lead in half. A pair of free throws by sophomore Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) and a jumper from the top of the left block by Luffman kept the Bruins within two, 10-8, with 14:30 remaining. Quick baskets by Raechele Gray and Jade Barber expanded EKU's lead back to five before the Bruins began chipping away at the deficit again.
Junior Molly Ernst (Louisville, Ky.) drilled a trey from the top of the arc to move BU to within two, 15-13, with just over nine minutes left on the clock but EKU fired back. Two minutes later, quick passes around the horn helped sophomore Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.) knock down a triple from the right side of the arc to make it a one-point game, 17-16, one minute later. Barber fouled Visbeen and picked up a technical in the aftermath, opening the door for Belmont to tie the score from the stripe at 17 with 6:49 left on the clock.
The Lady Colonels had rebuilt its five-point lead, 24-19, before Ernst netted another three pointer from deep in the corner and senior Jordan Coleman (Orlando, Fla.) followed, driving in the paint for a tip-in to make it a one-point game, 25-24, with three minutes left before the teams headed to the locker rooms. The teams traded baskets in the waning minute of regulation, each trying to build momentum heading into the break. However, it would be the Bruins to find the bottom of the net last with Carroll hitting a jumper as time expired to send her teammates into the locker room only down by one point, 29-28.
After the break, the teams began trading baskets from all over the floor. Three minutes in, EKU had again pulled away by five, 38-33, but Coleman drained her lone triple of the night to cut the lead to two. Senior Katie Brooks (Maryville, Tenn.) followed with a spin around jumper from the top of the lane and suddenly, the Bruins found themselves within striking distance, 39-38, with 15:30 left in the game. Finally, Belmont was able to take the lead for the first time in the game since the first basket of the night behind a Carroll layup.
After starting out the half so hot, EKU was stagnant from the floor for upwards of six minutes as BU worked to put distance between the teams courtesy of a 13-3 run. The Lady Colonel bench called two timeouts during the span but nothing seemed to slow the Bruins, who had pulled away 51-42 after the flurry.
BU continued to pile on the points, using baskets from redshirt sophomore Jordyn Luffman (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) and Visbeen, to grab its biggest lead of the night, 15 points, 58-43, with 3:48 left in regulation. Barber hoped to put her teammates on her back and spur a rally with back-to-back layups but repeated frustration fouls continued to send the Bruins to the stripe. Leaning once again on excellent clock management and tough defense, BU was able to control the waning minutes. Belmont was sent to the free-throw line five times in the final two minutes, with Brooks and Tarrence combining for 7-for 10. EKU attempted one final three pointer with 48 ticks left on the clock but it bounced off the rim and BU held the ball to seal the 65-49 victory.
Eastern Kentucky shot 31.7 percent from the floor, 16.7 percent from three-point range and 63.6 percent from the free-throw line. The Lady Colonels held the advantage in steals, 12-5.
EKU was led in scoring by Jade Barber, who scored 14 points. Alex Jones and Raechele Gray each contributed 11 points. Jones finished with a double-double, pulling down a team-high 13 rebounds.
Belmont shot 41.5 percent from the hardwood, 43.8 percent from behind the three-point arc and 77.8 percent from the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in rebounds, 39-37, assists, 15-9, and blocks, 4-3.
Visbeen led all scorers with a game-high 16 points. Coleman pulled down her fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Carroll rounded out BU's double digit scorers, adding 10 in the effort. Brooks finished with a game-high five assists and went 6-for-8 down the stretch at the line to secure the BU win.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday, January 26 with a contest on the road. The Bruins travel for a matchup at Eastern Kentucky with tip-off scheduled for 3 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.
