Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Inspired by the Superhero Night theme, the Belmont women's basketball team (7-12, 4-2 OVC) waged a mighty second half comeback to defeat Murray State (8-8, 1-3 OVC) on Monday night in the Curb Event Center. The Bruins rebounded from a double digit deficit to knock off the Racers, 67-57, and improve to 4-2 in the OVC.
After a sputtering a start, the Bruins jumped into action behind a pair of steals by junior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.) and back-to-back triples by senior Molly Ernst (Louisville, Ky.) that put them ahead 9-2 by the 16:08 mark. Three minutes later, MSU had trimmed that lead to one, 10-9. Murray State went on to grab a 12-10 lead after converting a three-point opportunity. However, the Bruins hustled back in the paint with a put back by redshirt freshman Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.) to knot the score at 12 with 11:04 remaining on the clock.
The Racers used a combination of shots behind the arc and at the free-throw line to build an 11-1 run to take its first double digit lead of the night by the 7:37 mark as BU remained ice cold from the hardwood for nearly three minutes. Finally, a driving layup by sophomore Blair Bryce (Red Oak, Texas) snapped the cold spell and moved the Bruins within eight, 23-15, two minutes later.
MSU quickly rebuilt its double digit lead, expanding it to as many as 11, 27-16, with just over three minutes left before the break. However, the Bruins surged to close the first stanza, whittling the Racer lead back down to single digits behind shots by Joubran and juniors Taylor Mills (Corryton, Tenn.) and Jordyn Luffman (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.). The flurry sent the teams to their respective locker rooms separated by six points, 33-27.
BU carried over its momentum from the first half and immediately worked to close the gap. Freshman Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) knocked down a jumper from just inside the arc and Carroll followed with a three pointer from the left side of the arc to move the Bruins to within one, 33-32, three minutes in but Murray State fired off an 8-0 run to pull away, 40-32, by the 14:31 mark.
The Bruins continued to chip away at the Racer lead and used a flurry of shots around the eight minute mark to regain the lead for the first time in the half after Carroll added six points on successive possessions, including converting an and-one opportunity. The Racers knotted the score at 51-51 just 30 seconds later but Carroll remained on fire from behind the arc and drilled another trey to put Belmont back on top, 54-51.
Murray State called timeout with 5:26 remaining in regulation but the pause in action on fueled the Bruins eve more. Joubran dominated the lane with a power move and the Racers fell completely silent from the hardwood, unable to connect on shots or rebound effectively for upwards of three minutes. BU began to use the clock to its favor and slowed the pace.
MSU attempted one final effort to overtake the hot handed Bruins, inching as close as one point, 58-57, with 2:09 remaining but Luffman drilled a trifecta from the left corner, opening up a 9-0 run by the Bruins to close regulation. Mills was fouled with 35 ticks remaining and hit the front end of the pair before BU leaned on strong defense to seal the 67-57 win.
Murray State shot 28.6 percent from the floor, 25 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw line. The Racers held the slim advantage in blocks, 7-6.
MSU was led in scoring by Taylor Porter, who netted 12 points. Janssen Starks added11 points in the effort.
Belmont shot 30.1 percent from the hardwood, 40 percent from behind the three-point arc and 65 percent at the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in assists, 15-5.
The teams were even in rebounds at 52 and even in steals with a total of four.
Carroll matched her career-high with a game-high 15 points. Luffman added 13 points Mills contributed 10 points. Joubran pulled down a game and career-high 17 rebounds. Junior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) and Carroll finished with four assists each while Joubran and Luffman each recorded two blocks.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday at crosstown rival Tennessee State. Tipoff of the doubleheader is slated for 5:30 p.m. at the Gentry Center. The game can be seen on the OVC Digital Network and fans can listen to Dr. Rich Tiner on the play-by-play call on the Bruins Sports Network. Live stats and an in-game Twitter feed (@BelmontWBB) will also be available.
