Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Belmont women's basketball team (13-16, 10-6 OVC) was unable to overcome spotty shooting in the second half and dropped its regular season finale on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins fell to crosstown rival Tennessee State (15-12, 12-4 OVC), 70-53.
The Lady Tigers opened the game with a 6-0 run to go up 8-1 early after a free throw by freshman Sally McCabe (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) got BU on the board. The Bruins' rim took a while before it was unlidded behind a jumper by Sierra Jones (Huntsville, Ala.) and back-to-back triples by senior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.). The teams traded baskets for several minutes as Belmont worked to stay in striking distance, thanks to more work behind the arc by Carroll. A triple by senior Torie Vaught (Maryville, Tenn.) made it a one-point game, 20-19, with just over seven and a half minutes left on the clock.
Tennessee State expanded its lead to as many as seven, 28-21, but that would be as close as BU would come as the Lady Tigers continued to fire on all cylinders from all over the floor. TSU closed the half on an 8-0 run to take a 41-28 lead in the locker room.
Spotty shooting continued to plague the Bruins in the early minutes of the second half as the Lady Tigers continued to pile on the points. By the 13:11 mark, Tennessee State had grabbed its first 20-point advantage, 54-34, behind a flurry of layups. Despite the deficit, BU continued to battle down the stretch.
Belmont hoped to take advantage of a five minute icy spell by TSU and used a 9-0 run to move to within 16, 61-45, capped by sophomore Frankie Joubran's (Detroit, Mich.) pair of buckets in the lane, in the final four minutes. BU turned up the defensive pressure to slow the Lady Tigers but it was not enough to rebound from the point deficit. Vaught found the bottom of the net once more for the final points before time expired as TSU went on to take the contest, 70-53.
Tennessee State shot 46.4 percent from the floor, 34.8 percent from three-point range and 55.6 percent from the free-throw line. The Lady Tigers held the advantage in rebounds, 36-32, and assists, 16-14.
TSU was led in scoring by Briana Morrow and Chelsea Hudson, who recorded 19 and 17 points, respectively. Rachel Allen led the team in rebounds with a total of seven.
Belmont shot 39.2 percent from the hardwood, 27.8 percent from behind the three-point arc and 57.1 percent from the charity stripe. The teams were tied in blocks (2) and steals (7).
Carroll led the Bruins with 13 points, followed by Joubran with 10 points. Joubran also led the team with 10 rebounds. Senior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) led in assists with a game-high eight.
Belmont returns to action next week in the OVC Tournament at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium. The Bruins earned the No. 4 seed and will face off against Jacksonville State at Noon on Thursday, March 5. The matchup can be seen live on ESPN3 and the OVC Digital Network. Live stats and an in-game Twitter feed (@BelmontWBB) will also be available.
