Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn.-- Defense was the name of the game as the Belmont women's basketball team (14-16) dug in to knock off No. 5 Jacksonville State (19-10) in the First Round of the OVC Tournament on Thursday afternoon. The fourth-seeded Bruins held the Gamecocks to their lowest point total of the season en route to 55-45 victory.
"It was a hard-fought game and I am very proud of the effort and perseverance we put forth. The way JSU competes and the matchups with them, we knew it was going to be a big-time game and a challenge. I am proud of our team," said Head Coach Cameron Newbauer.
The game opened with the teams trading baskets to mark the sixth meeting between the programs in just two years. Suddenly, freshman Sally McCabe (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) exploded for six consecutive points to put BU on top, 9-6, by the 15:12 mark. The Bruins then turned up the heat defensively and used back to back stops to fuel a run that put them ahead 16-6 with 12:02 remaining. Jacksonville State gained ground during a more than four minute scoring drought for the Bruins and moved to within six, 18-12, five minutes later.
Finally, a jumper in the lane by senior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) snapped a five minute icy spell for the Bruins and expanded BU's lead to six, 20-14, with 4:50 left on the clock. A strong defensive effort kept the Gamecocks from scoring for the final 4:30 of the half. Despite the offensive silence from their opponents, the Bruins also struggled to keep the ice off their rim. Senior Jordyn Luffman-Hartsfield (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) drilled a triple with 1:17 left on the clock for the final points of the half before her half-court heave bounced off the back of the rim, sending the teams to the locker rooms with Belmont leading, 23-16.
After the break, the Bruins maintained their intensive defensive effort, resulting in another scoring drought for the Gamecocks, this one lasting more than four minutes. With the game slipping out of reach, JSU used a flurry of shots to close the gap to three points, 31-28, with 12:18 remaining. However, another Luffman-Hartsfield trey put distance between the teams.
JSU attempted to surge once again, moving to within four, 38-34, by the 8:20 mark but back-to-back layups by sophomore Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.) kept Belmont in front. Two minutes later, the Gamecocks used a turnover to make it a one possession game, 40-38. Jacksonville State briefly gained the lead but Joubran knocked down a three pointer from the top of the arc to open a 15-7 run that eventually would seal the win for the Bruins.
The Bruins hurled the ball down court to set up freshman Sierra Jones (Huntsville, Ala.) for a fast break layup to put the game officially out of reach, 51-45. Joubran closed the matchup with back-to-back trips to the line that propelled the Bruins to the 55-45 win.
Belmont's effort held JSU to a season-low 45 points. Tarrence noted, "I think just sticking with our game plan was key. We spend a lot of time on what we are going to do and how we are going to defend. We all stuck with it the entire game."
Jacksonville State shot 33.3 percent from the floor, a dismal 8.3 percent from three-point range and an ice cold 0.0 percent from the free-throw line. The Gamecocks held the advantage in steals, 4-2.
JSU saw two players reach double figures led by Destany McLin's 18 points. Candace Morton added 13 points in the effort. McLin also had a team-high seven rebounds.
Belmont shot 43.5 percent from the hardwood, 46.2 percent from behind the three-point arc and 81.8 percent from the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in rebounds, 39-33, assists, 17-11, and blocks, 5-0.
BU was led in scoring by Joubran, who netted 18 points. McCabe added 10 points in the win. Joubran was one rebound shy of tallying a double-double. Tarrence collected a game-high six assists. Tarrence and McCabe each recorded a pair of blocks.
Belmont returns to action on Friday when it faces off against top-seeded UT Martin in the OVC Tournament Semifinals. Tipoff is slated for 12 p.m. in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium. 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.
