Box Score EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Spotty shooting from all over the floor did in the Belmont women's basketball team (3-11, 0-1 OVC) in their first OVC matchup of the season on the road Saturday afternoon. The Bruins were held off 68-56 at SIUE (4-9, 1-0 OVC) in only the third meeting between the programs.
Both teams started their third-ever meeting icy, shooting less than 18 percent before senior Molly Ernst (Louisville, Ky.) drilled a trey from the right corner. SIUE knotted the score twice before surging, taking advantage of an icy spell by the Bruins, to pull away 14-8 by the 12 minute mark. It would be nearly four and a half minutes before Belmont found the bottom of the net again, allowing the Cougars to expand their lead to 21-8.
Freshman Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) netted a pair at the free-throw line to close the gap to 11, 24-13, with just under eight minutes remaining on the clock as BU began whittling away at the Cougar lead. Redshirt freshman Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.) converted three the hard way and moved the Bruins to within seven, 29-22, with four and a half minutes remaining in the half. The Bruins continued to dig in, spurred by a strong drive in the paint by Thompson, and saw junior Jordyn Luffman (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) and Ernst connecting on back-to-back triples. The flurry in action saw BU close the gap to three points, 33-30, with 1:55 left on the clock. SIUE fired a long ball but junior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.) drained a trey near the top of the arc to keep BU within striking distance as time expired. The teams went to their respective locker rooms, separated by three, 36-33.
After the break, the Bruins worked hard to keep the differential within three points with shots coming from Thompson, Carroll and junior Torie Vaught (Maryville, Tenn.). However, the Cougars pushed once again and rebuilt a double digit advantage, 51-39, as the Bruins fell silent from the hardwood for nearly five minutes. Finally, sophomore Katherine Zander (Orange Park, Fla.) connected on her second attempt at the stripe to halt the icy spell at the 11:52 mark.
SIUE put together another flurry to maintain its double digit advantage down the stretch. Belmont came within eight, 51-43, behind another three by Ernst one minute later but that would be as close as it would come. The Cougars blew their lead up to as many as 15 by the six minute mark but the Bruins continued to chip away. BU would inch as close as 10 in the final four minutes of regulation but SIUE sealed the win with back-to-back baskets from Valerie Finnin. Despite three quick points from Zander in the final 60 seconds, the Cougars went on to take the contest, 68-56.
SIUE shot 46.3 percent from the floor, 25 percent from three-point range and 64 percent from the free-throw line. The Cougars held the advantage in assists, 16-14, and blocks, 9-2.
Micah Jones led SIUE with a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds. CoCo Moore and Tierny Austin each contributed 12 points.
Belmont shot 26.8 percent from the hardwood, 27.6 percent from behind the three-point arc and 47.6 percent from the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in rebounds, 49-43, and steals, 6-4.
Thompson picked up her first collegiate double-double with a team-high 11 points and game-high 12 rebounds. Luffman also reached double digits, adding 10 points in the effort. Ernst netted nine points, all from behind the arc. Junior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) matched her career-high of seven assists.
Belmont returns to the hardwood for the final time in 2013 on December 31 with another OVC road game. The Bruins face off at Southeast Missouri State beginning at 2 p.m. The game can be seen live on the OVC Digital Network and heard live via the internet on the Bruins Sports Network. Live stats and an in-game Twitter feed (@BelmontWBB) will also be available.
