Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn.- The Belmont University women's basketball team (23-5, 15-0) extended the nation's second-longest winning streak to 17 as it knocked off Morehead State (19-8, 9-5), 96-76 Saturday evening at the Curb Event Center.
Belmont's 17-straight wins are the longest streak of consecutive victories in program history surpassing the previous record of 16 set by the 1974-75, 1989-90 and 1993-94 teams when Belmont was a member of the NAIA.
Several Bruins finished with career nights and five Belmont players were in double figures when it was all said and done. Sally McCabe (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) led the way with 18 points and 10 rebounds collecting her 17th career double double and her fifth this season. McCabe scored her 1,000th career point the victory, becoming the 28th player in the program's history to do so.
Darby Maggard (Larwill, Ind.) also notched a double double scoring 12 points and dishing out a career-best 13 assists. Maggard had just one turnover. Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) and Jenny Roy (Brentwood, Tenn.) each finished with 16. Roy had one of the hot hands from distance, pouring a career-high four three-pointers. Kylee Smith (Alpharetta, Ga.) scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
The Bruins finished shooting 35-of-68 (51.5%) from the field and 13-of-30 (43.3%) from three-point range. Belmont shot above 50% from the field for the seventh time this season and made at least 10 three-pointers for the 11th time. BU made at least four three's in every quarter but the fourth.
"It was a great night to honor Susan G. Komen and the foundation and what they do in the fight against cancer. I just couldn't be more proud of our players and this fire that they played with and came out with tonight. Darby (Maggard) had 11 assists at the half , we ended up having 26 assists on 35 field goals. Sharing the ball, that's what we preach, that's what we want to do. We had a lot of people step and shoot the ball. Defensively we did a pretty good job early on of getting stops in big situations which helped us extend our lead," said Belmont Head Coach Cameron Newbauer following the victory.
The excellent shooting was set up by crisp ball movement as Belmont assisted on 26 of its 35 made field goals, dishing out 20 or more assits for the ninth time on the season. Nine different Bruins finished with a basket and eight players had assists.
In a game that featured the league's top two teams, the Bruins turned in one of their best offensive efforts of the season. Belmont finished with the fourth-most points in Curb Event Center history.
With 17 straight-victories Belmont has the second longest active winning streak in all of NCAA Division I trailing just UConn (101).
Darianne Seward had an excellent game for Morehead State, scoring 25 points and knocking down seven three-pointers.
Belmont led 27-13 after the first quarter as it tied its season high for points in an opening quarter. The Bruins came out locked in from three-point range, knocking down five of their first nine attempts. Smith and Maggard each connected on a pair of triples, scoring six points while Thompson also added six in the first frame. After it was tied in the early going at 4-4, Belmont surged ahead with an 8-0 run to lead 12-4 at the first media timeout. Belmont ended the quarter on 7-0 scoring run to take a 27-13 edge into the second. Belmont made 9-of-19 field goals in the first and registered five three-pointers.
"I thought that we moved the ball really well. We shared it really well which helps our offense get even more open shots. So many of us are scoring threats, so I think that they have to help off somebody and tonight I happened to be in the right place at the right time which is good with me," said Thompson.
BU held a commanding lead at the half after scoring a season-best 54 first half points and limiting the Eagles' to just 32 points. The Bruins' streaky shooting from distance was the story of the first 20 minutes as they shot 9-of-17 from three-point range. Great rhythm on offense helped set up many open attempts. The Bruins assisted on 17 of their 20 made field goals and Maggard dished out a career-high 11 assists in the first half alone. Smith and Thompson each had 14 points at the intermission to pace all scorers. After an impressive shooting performance in the first, Belmont followed it up with a 11-of-17 shooting second quarter in which it outscored the Eagles 27-19.
For the third-straight quarter Belmont scored exactly 27 points, this time holding just a five point margin as Morehead State found its footing on offense, scoring 22 points. McCabe and Roy both had big third periods, scoring 10 points apiece. BU shot 50% for the stanza and recorded four three-pointers. Seward scored 11 points to help the Eagles keep pace.
The only quarter Belmont failed to outscore MSU was the fourth as the Eagles had a 22-15 advantage. Many players saw increased minutes off the Bruin bench and Maddie Wright (Chattanooga, Tenn.) led with four points.
"We always say we look for good shots, but let's make an extra pass for a great shot. Driving it in and kicking it out, that's how we like to play. The post players are such a presence inside that if somebody is helping off, they find the open man. Tonight my teammates found me and I was able to make some shots," said Roy.
Frankie Joubran (Goodrich, Mich.) scored her 900th career point and Maggard scored her 800th.
Joubran finished with seven points and seven rebounds, providing a spark off the Bruin bench. Sierra Jones (Huntsville, Ala.) also finished with seven points to go with her five revounds, two assists and two steals.
Including last season's run through the OVC Tournament, Belmont is 31-1 in its last 32 OVC games and has won 21-straight.
Belmont's 23-5 start is its best start through 28 games in its Division I era.
Belmont is 23-1 in its last 24 home games and improved to 10-1 in games at the Curb Event Center this season.
After starting the season 2-4, Belmont has won 21 of its past 22 games.
"We've been working really hard every day and it's paying off. We're excited, we're ready to keep going and see where this takes us," added Roy.
Belmont concludes its 2016-17 regular season Saturday, Feb. 25 when it hosts Tennessee State for homecoming. Tip off is slated for 3 p.m. Central time.
Post Game Interviews
