Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont women's basketball team successfully held off a late run on Monday night at the Curb Event Center to extend its win streak to four straight. The Bruins knocked off in-state rival Austin Peay, 69-67, to improve to 8-4 in the OVC.
Both teams were frigid from the hardwood for the first two and a half minutes, before redshirt freshman Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.) drove through traffic in the paint to score. Belmont clamped down defensively and limited Austin Peay to just one field goal in the first four minutes of the contest.
The Bruins put together a 6-0 run behind the rapid firing in the paint by Joubran and junior Jordyn Luffman (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) to go up, 10-4, by the 14:47 mark. The Lady Govs fired back to knot the score at 11 but BU hustled to pull away again. Junior Taylor Mills (Corryton, Tenn.) came up with back-to-back steals to help spark the Bruins surge again, this time building their lead to eight, 19-11, with 10 and a half minutes left on the clock.
Belmont kept pushing as Luffman came away with her own steal at midcourt and fed the ball to classmate Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.) to give BU a 25-16 lead. Austin Peay called timeout, hoping to put a break in the momentum but the Bruins never let the Lady Govs get closer than five points. Finally, Austin Peay began to show signs of life down the stretch, thanks to Kristen Stainback's sharp shooting but the Bruins remained strong on both sides of the ball to temper their efforts. APSU made one final push as the half drew to a close and used an 8-2 rally to move within one point, 34-33, as the teams headed to their respective locker rooms.
The second half opened with the teams trading baskets until the score was knotted at 36 at the 18:43 mark. Austin Peay grabbed its first lead of the game one minute later but it was short lived as the Bruins continued to find the bottom of the net. By the 13 minute mark, the score had been tied four times in the second stanza alone.
BU settled into another offensive groove with a 5-0 spurt coming from freshman Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) to put the team ahead by six, 54-48, with 8:52 remaining on the clock. Austin Peay dug in its heels and began furiously chipping away at the Bruin lead. With 3:43 remaining, the Lady Govs had tied the game at 60. The teams once again traded baskets until Luffman was fouled driving to the basket and went on to complete the three-point opportunity to put BU on top, 65-62, with 90 seconds remaining in regulation.
The final 45 seconds of regulation were frantic as the Bruins were determined to not relinquish their lead as much as APSU was determined to overtake it. Solid defense accompanied a basket made by junior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) to extend Belmont's lead to two, 67-65. APSU was forced to burn its final two timeouts after Mills buried a crucial pair at the charity stripe with 14 ticks remaining on the clock to put BU ahead, 69-65.
The Lady Govs were able to break out from underneath the heavy Bruin defense and score with four seconds left to make it a two-point game, 69-67. However, BU was able to lob the ball over the midcourt line and dribble in the paint to burn up the final seconds and secure the victory.
Austin Peay shot 43.8 percent from the floor, 25 percent from three-point range and 72.7 percent from the free-throw line. The Lady Govs held the advantage in blocks, 5-1, and steals, 6-4.
APSU had three players in double figures led by Kristen Stainback's 14 points. Beth Rates added 13 and Tiasha Gray added 12 points. Rates grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
Belmont shot 42.2 percent from the hardwood, 40 percent from behind the three-point arc and 60 percent from the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in rebounds, 40-37, and assists, 17-12.
For the seventh time this season, four Bruins reached double digits. Thompson led BU with 14 points. Joubran and Mills each netted 13 points while Luffman added 12. Joubran and Luffman each finished with nine rebounds. Luffman also had a game and career-high eight assists. Tarrence collected two steals.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday, February 15, continuing its homestand, hosting crosstown rival Tennessee State for the program's annual Think Pink game for breast cancer awareness in conjunction with the Greater Nashville affiliate of Susan G. Komen for a Cure. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m. at the Curb Event Center and fans are encouraged to wear pink.
