Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont women's basketball team (13-15, 10-5 OVC) used stellar work behind the arc to help it notch its longest win streak of the season on Wednesday night at the Curb Event Center. The Bruins handily defeated Eastern Kentucky (9-16, 4-11 OVC), 84-70, to record their fifth consecutive win and ninth victory in 10 outings. The win also gave the program its 300th NCAA Division I win.
The first half got started with the Sally McCabe (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) show. The freshman helped win the opening tip, scored the first seven points for the Bruins and went on to assist on a layup by sophomore Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.). The flurry forced Eastern Kentucky to burn its first timeout of the night and try to recoup from a 9-3 deficit. BU continued to pour on the points, thanks to freshman Sierra Jones (Huntsville, Ala.) and junior Natalie Cohlmeyer (Evansville, Ind.) and by the 10:44 mark, it was ahead, 19-6.
Spotty shooting continued to plague the Colonels but they were finally able to break into double digits around the nine minute mark. Belmont held onto its double digit lead for another four and a half minutes before EKU closed the gap six, 26-20, but sophomore Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.) drained a pair at the charity stripe to rebuild BU's lead. The Colonels worked behind the arc to make up ground but the Bruins leaned on defense to keep them at bay. Eastern Kentucky pushed back in the final two minutes and trimmed the lead to eight, 35-27, but Thompson hustled in the lane with 16 seconds remaining to bring the lead to double figures. Her work in the paint helped BU take a 37-27 lead into the locker room.
After the break, Thompson continued to do work in the paint and helped BU solidify a double digit advantage that it would not relinquish for the remainder of the night. The Bruins blew their lead up to 17 points, 48-31, before a brief icy spell on the hardwood slowed the point production. However, Belmont remained strong defensively. EKU surged around the 10 minute mark and trimmed Belmont's lead down to 10, 54-44, but that would be as close as it would get in the waning minutes.
The Bruins exploded behind a 14-4 run that put them on top, 71-51, with 5:34 left in regulation. Despite victory being in its sights, BU continued to battle down the stretch, putting in work on both sides of the ball. Eastern Kentucky dug in its heels one final time as the clock ticked into its final 60 seconds. The Colonels added five more points to their tally but could get no closer than 14 points away as Belmont held on for the 84-70 win.
Eastern Kentucky shot 40.3 percent from the floor, 32 percent from three-point range and 72.7 percent from the free-throw line. The Colonels held the advantage in steals, 13-6.
EKU was led in scoring by Shameekia Murray, who netted 17 points. Michaela Hunter and Jasmine Henshaw added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Hunter also led the team in rebounds with a total of eight.
Belmont shot 44.6 percent from the hardwood, 44 percent from behind the three-point arc, and 74.2 perecnt from the charity stripe.
Four Bruins reached double figures, led by Jones, who dropped in a game and career-high 23 points, including a 10-for-10 performance at the free-throw line. Carroll added 17 points, fueled by a career-high five three pointers, while Thompson and McCabe each contributed 16 points. McCabe also tallied her third double-double of the season with a game-high 10 rebounds. Senior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) collected nine assists, one shy of matching her career best.
Belmont concludes the regular season on Saturday afternoon at the Curb Event Center. The Bruins host crosstown rival Tennessee State beginning at 2 p.m. The dual can be seen live on the OVC Digital Network and heard via the internet on the Bruins Sports Network. Live stats and an in-game Twitter feed (@BelmontWBB) will also be available.
