Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A thrilling comeback fell just shy for the Belmont women's baketball team (14-17) on Friday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium. The fourth-seeded Bruins rally from a second half double digit deficit but were held off in the final 60 seconds by No. 1 UT Martin (22-9), 71-65.
The rematch of last year's championship game went saw the teams furiously trading baskets from the opening whistle. It would not be until the 12 minute mark before either team was more than two possessions ahead of the other. Belmont rallied as senior Jordyn Luffman-Hartsfield (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) drilled back-to-back triples to put Belmont on top, 19-17, with 10:43 left on the clock. UT Martin answered back but Luffman-Hartsfield buried another defiant three pointer to give BU a 24-21 advantage 45 seconds later.
The Bruins slipped into a 2:50 minute scoring drought but ramped up its defensive effort to keep the Skyhawks from expanding their lead. A tip-in by sophomore Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) chipped the ice off the rim and opened a 6-0 run for the Bruins that closed the gap to a single possession, 34-32, with less than three minutes left on the clock. A jumper by sophomore Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.) kept Belmont within one basket but UTM was able to close the half with another layup to take a 38-34 lead into the locker room.
After the break, the Skyhawks opened with a flurry of shots and built a seven-point lead, 47-40, as the Bruins tried desperately to find an offensive rhythm. Held to just four triples in the first half, the Bruins got hot behind the arc and used the opportunities to quickly gain ground. Senior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.) knocked down a pair of three pointers to make it one point game, 47-46, with 14:32 remaining on the clock. UTM fired back and suddenly, the Bruins were battling to emerge from another scoring drought, this one lasting three minutes.
Joubran hit the back end of a pair at the line to rattle the ice off the rim. Despite the lapse in scoring, the Bruins' defense kept the Skyhawks within striking distance, 52-47, with 11:46 left on the clock. UT Martin went on to build a nine point lead, 60-51, by the 8:26 mark as the Bruins struggled to overcome spotty shooting. The Bruins turned once again to the long ball to get back into the game, exploding behind the arc with treys coming from Luffman-Hartsfield and two from Carroll. The surge brought the Bruin fans to their feet and moved BU to within three, 68-65, with just over two minutes left in regulation.
UT Martin attempted to burn the clock to hold onto its lead but it was a three pointer as their shot clock expired that put it ahead for good, 71-65, with just 33 seconds left. The Skyhawks bench burned a timeout to strategize for the waning seconds and doubled down on their defensive efforts to slow the surging BU squad. A Belmont shot rimmed out and UTM held the ball as the final horn sounded to give it the contest by the same score.
"It was a great game from a fan's perspective," said Head Coach Cameron Newbauer. "You had two teams just going back-and-forth. I know most of the game we were down a couple of possessions, but the way we fought to get back… it was fun. We didn't end up on the right end in our minds but [UTM] made some big plays. The three that they hit at the end of the game was a huge play."
UT Martin shot 49.2 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three-point range and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line. The Skyhawks held the advantage in blocks, 3-2, and steals, 4-2.
Ashia Jones did the lion's share of the work for UTM with a game-high 39 points. Tiara Caldwell grabbed seven rebounds.
Belmont shot 45.5 percent from the hardwood, 47.6 percent behind the three-point arc and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in rebounds, 35-26, and assists, 21-12.
Four Bruins reached double figures in the effort. Luffman-Hartsfield led with 17 points, which pushed her over the career 1,000-point plateau, followed by Carroll with 15. Joubran and Thompson rounded out the group with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Joubran was one rebound shy of a double-double with a game-high nine rebounds but crossed the 500 career board threshold with her tally. Senior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.) matched her career-best with a game-high 10 assists.
Belmont wraps the 2014-15 campaign with a 14-17 overall record. The Bruins went 10-6 in OVC play, winning nine of their last 11 outings.
