Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Using a strong late surge, the Belmont women's basketball team was able to hold off a scrappy Morehead State squad on Monday night at the Curb Event Center. The Bruins (8-14, 5-4 OVC) gritted out a 71-65 victory over the Eagles (9-12, 3-5 OVC) to improve to 5-4 in the OVC.
The teams traded baskets for the first six minutes of the contest, falling into four scoring stalemates as BU saw point production from juniors Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.) and Jordyn Luffman (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.), sophomore Blair Bryce (Red Oak, Texas), and redshirt freshman Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.).
A jumper by freshman Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) put the Bruins on top, 18-17, with just over 10 left in the half but the Eagles continued to match BU's stride. Suddenly, junior Taylor Mills (Corryton, Tenn.) exploded around the eight minute mark. She drained a triple from the left side of the arc and grabbed a steal at midcourt to drive for a fast break layup to put Belmont ahead, 25-19, three minutes later.
Mills' work opened up a 12-2 run to help Belmont pull away, 39-26, by the 3:07 mark. MSU looked to make a dent in the differential in the final minute but the Bruins wore the clock down with tough defense and worked to carry a 45-31 lead into the locker room.
BU continued to build on its momentum early in the second half, keeping Morehead State from finding the bottom of the net for the first two and a half minutes of play. The denial did not last long as the Eagles heated up offensively, using a 10-0 run to move within six, 47-41, by the 13:50 mark. The Bruins were silent for more than five minutes and were finally jolted back to life with a trey by Mills from the right side of the arc. However, MSU continued to chip away at the Bruin lead.
The Eagles surged behind a technical and a three-point play conversion by Terrice Robinson to close the gap to five points, 50-45, 90 seconds later but the Bruins were able to answer back with another three pointer by Carroll. MSU continued to push and within three minutes was able to make it a three-point differential, 53-50. Spotty shooting from the floor continued to plague the Bruins through the midsection of the stanza but they were able to maintain breathing room from the charity stripe. The Eagles kept clawing and used shots at the line to gain their first lead since the middle of the opening stanza, 58-57, with just under six minutes remaining in regulation.
Both teams turned up the heat on both sides of the ball in the final three minutes. Luffman converted a three-point play and followed with a triple on the next possession to put BU on top, 65-61. Almesha Jones fired an identical shot on the opposite end to trim the gap to one point but junior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) drove hard in the paint to score to keep Belmont on top, 67-64, with two minutes remaining on the clock. Belmont held the ball for long stretches before attacking the rim forcing Morehead State to burn a pair of timeouts. However, a basket by Mills and a pair at the stripe by redshirt freshman Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.) helped to seal the 71-65 victory for BU.
Morehead State shot 35.1 percent from the floor, 34.6 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw line. The Eagles held the advantage in assists, 13-9, and blocks, 4-2.
MSU was led in scoring by Terrice Robinson, who scored a game-high 27 points. Almesha Jones added 16 points. Mackenzie Arledge grabbed eight rebounds.
For the fourth time this season, four BU players reached double digits. The Bruins were led in scoring by junior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.), who scored a career-high 16 points. Mills added 14 points, followed by classmate Luffman, who notched her seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Freshman Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) added 10 points in the win. Junior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) finished with a game-high seven assists.
Belmont returns to the road for action on Saturday, February 1. The Bruins travel to in-state rival Tennessee Tech for a game set to tipoff at 5:30 p.m. The contest can be seen live on the OVC Digital Network and fans can also listen live to Dr. Rich Tiner on the play-by-play call via the Bruins Sports Network. Live stats and an in-game Twitter stream (@BelmontWBB) will also be available.
