Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont women's basketball team (8-14, 5-4 OVC) picked up its fourth consecutive win on Saturday in the Curb Event Center. The Bruins knocked off Tennessee Tech (5-18, 2-8 OVC), 59-53. The win improves BU to 5-4 in OVC play.
The Bruins opened the first half with a 6-0 run to go up 7-2 by the 16 minute mark. The Golden Eagles remained frigid from the hardwood for several minutes as BU expanded its lead to double digits behind baskets by senior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.), freshmen Sally McCabe (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) and Sierra Jones (Huntsville, Ala.) and sophomore Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.). Belmont went on to grab its biggest lead of the half, 12 points, 22-10, with 6:03 left on the clock.
The Golden Eagles finally began chipping away at Belmont's lead and surged behind an 8-0 run to move within three points, 25-22, with just 30 seconds left in the first half, taking full advantage of a Belmont drought that lasted the final 3:58 minutes. Despite the offensive absence, the Bruins were able to hold on to their three point advantage heading into the locker room.
After the break, TTU hustled to make it a one-point game, 25-24, in the opening minute but the Bruins maintained their distance. BU used a 6-0 run to pull away 35-28 by the 13:48 mark, thanks to work in the paint by Joubran and Jones. The Golden Eagles moved to within four but Belmont surged again, this time spurred by a three-point opportunity by Joubran minutes later. The effort opened a 17-2 run that put the Bruins ahead, 51-33, their largest lead of the contest, by the 6:45 mark. The Golden Eagles remained silent from the hardwood for upwards of six minutes before a triple that bounced in broke the ice off their rim.
With less than five minutes left in regulation, the Bruins kept their eyes on victory but Tennessee Tech continued to battle down the stretch. Three minutes later, TTU took full advantage of being in the double bonus and used a pair at the line to move within seven, 59-52 with 36 ticks left on the clock. The Golden Eagle bench called a series of timeouts to strategize but Belmont remained tough, using the clock to its advantage to hold off the late attempt. TTU netted a free throw with six seconds remaining but Belmont held the ball under the final buzzer to secure the 59-53 win.
Tennessee Tech shot 33.9 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three-point range and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line. The Golden Eagles held the advantage in blocks, 5-4 and steals, 7-5.
TTU was led in scoring by Samaria Howard, who netted a game-high 17 points. Candace Parson added 10 points.
Belmont shot 37.9 percent from the hardwood, 27.3 percent from behind the three-point arc and 52.9 percent from the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in rebounds, 45-34, and assists, 16-6.
Joubran and McCabe each contributed 15 points. Jones added 12 and Carroll rounded out the double digit scorers, dropping in 10 points. Joubran pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to record her 11th double-double of the season. Senior Jordyn Luffman-Hartsfield (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) finished with a game-high five assists while McCabe knocked down a game-high four blocks.
Belmont returns to action on February 4 on the road at Morehead State. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m. CT and the matchup 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.
