Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Led by a flawless performance from the floor by sophomore Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.), the Belmont women's basketball team (2-5) notched its second consecutive win of the season on Tuesday night. The Bruins dominated rival Lipscomb (2-5) in the annual Battle of the Boulevard contest, 80-60.
The long-time rivals took a few minutes to feel each other out before the Bruins jumped ahead, 12-6, behind shots by senior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.), and sophomores Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) and Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.) four minutes into the matchup. Lipscomb attempted to regain some ground but senior Natalie Cohlmeyer (Evansville, Ind.) drilled a triple to extend BU's lead to 17-10, four minutes later.
LU moved as close as four, 21-17, by the 9:34 mark and continued to threaten for the next two minutes. Back-to-back trifectas by seniors Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.) and Jordyn Luffman-Hartsfield (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) put an end to the spark as they helped put the Bruins on top by its largest lead of the half, 33-24 with 6:24 left on the clock. Belmont held on to its eight-point advantage until the final 30 seconds when LU managed to find the back of the net, including the final shot of the half. Despite the late push by their rivals, the Bruins carried a 39-35 lead into the locker room.
After the break, the Lady Bisons opened aggressively against Belmont but the Bruins held steady. LU would move to within four points, 45-41, in the first three minutes before BU flexed once again and expanded its lead. Joubran converted an and-one opportunity to expand BU's lead to double digits for the first time, 51-41, with just under 14 minutes left in regulation. LU hustled and closed the gap to five, 56-51, four minutes later but Carroll knocked down a triple from the left corner to make it a 10-point game again, 61-51, with 8:25 remaining.
The Bruins never let Lipscomb move closer than 13 points in the waning minutes. BU went on to grab its biggest lead of the day, 20 points, 80-60, after a layup by senior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) and cruised to the victory by the same score.
LU shot 38.7 percent from the floor, an icy 13.3 percent from three-point range, and 58.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Lipscomb was led in scoring by Ashley Southern, who netted a game-high 26 points. Sara Bliss also reached double digits, adding 17 points. Southern also led the team in rebounds, grabbing seven.
Belmont shot a season-high 50.9 percent from the floor, 30.8 percent from behind the three-point arc and 61.5 percent from the charity stripe.
Joubran led the Bruins with a career-high 18 points, after going 7-for-7 from the floor, followed by freshman Sierra Jones (Huntsville, Ala.) with 13, one point shy of matching her season best and senior Jordyn Luffman-Hartsfield (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) with 11 points. Joubran also tallied her fourth double-double of the season with a game-high 13 rebounds. Senior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) recorded a game and season-high seven assists. Thompson collected a game-high two blocks.
Belmont returns to action on December 11 at the Curb Event Center when it hosts in-state rival Chattanooga. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. and the contest can be seen live on the OVC Digital Network. Fans can also listen to Dr. Rich Tiner on the play-by-play call on the Bruins Sports Network. Live stats and a live, in-game Twitter feed (@BelmontWBB) will also be available.
