Box Score ATHENS, GA. – No. 23/25 Belmont women's basketball gave another Power 5 conference foe a major scare, before dropping a 72-58 decision to No. 20/18 Duke Saturday afternoon from Stegeman Coliseum.
The Bruins (31-4) matched the fifth-seeded Blue Devils every step of the way, draining eight first-half three-pointers to stay within striking distance all afternoon. They were charged by the veteran threesome of Kylee Smith (Alpharetta, Ga.), Sally McCabe (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) and Darby Maggard (Larwill, Ind.). Smith registered her 12th 20-point game of the season while collecting seven rebounds and a team-best five assists. She was joined by McCabe's 14 points and four blocks, along with 12 points from Maggard.
"That was a really good team that beat us but I can't stop telling everyone how proud I am of our team," head coach Bart Brooks said. "I am just thrilled that I got to go on this head coaching ride with this team. It has been one heck of a season. Our loss today absolutely does not define what this group did this season. These girls have really made this program what it is and I can't thank them enough."
Duke (23-8) had four players register double-digit scoring efforts, led by a career-high 25 points from Leaonna Odom who went 11-for-18 from the field. Rebecca Greenwell (18 points), Lexie Brown (13 points) and Erin Matias (10 points) accompanied Odom. Greenwell was responsible for all four Blue Devil threes. Duke was carried by a 22-for-28 effort from the charity stripe with Brown sinking seven.
Junior guard Jenny Roy (Brentwood, Tenn.) tallied a free throw in the opening minute of the game to put the Bruins on the scoreboard first before enduring a three-minute scoring drought. The Blue Devils put up nine unanswered points in the span to get out to an early advantage. Maggard halted the run with the squad's first triple of the game, igniting BU's shooting from afar. The guard teamed up with Smith to hit three consecutive treys and bring BU within two, 12-10, at the 4:21 mark. Belmont went on to hold Duke to 1-for-11 from the field for the remainder of the first period as BU trailed, 16-14.
A pair of threes from Maggard and junior guard Maura Muensterman (Evansville, Ind.) knotted the game up 22-22 in the early goings of the second quarter. Smith continued the trend with a bucket from beyond the arc of her own to give BU its first lead of the game, 25-22, with 5:35 left in the half. The lead was short lived as the Blue Devils strung together a 6-0 run to once again lead the Bruins. The squad continued to find answers from afar as Ellie Harmeyer (Kenosha, Wisc.) buried back-to-back long-distance shots. Belmont would fail to find the bottom of the net the final three minutes of the half as Duke took a one-point lead, 32-31, into the break.
Third quarter scoring woes would prove to hinder the Bruins as they were outscored, 21-9, by the Blue Devils. Smith netted eight of the teams nine points in the stanza, including remaining perfect from three-point range with her third triple of the day. Not only did she find ways to score, but the senior also wore a charge on the other end of the court. However, Smith's efforts couldn't overcome the Blue Devils stifling defense and hot shooting. Belmont trailed Duke, 53-40, after the third.
Smith carried over her aggressive play into the fourth, having either scored or assisted on 15 of Belmont's 16 points over a 12-minute span. The 13-point deficit didn't scare the Bruins who clawed their way back within seven,53-46, after starting the fourth on a 6-0 run. BU didn't allow Duke to score its first points of the fourth until the 6:47 mark. From then on both team traded buckets until the final minutes.
Roy did a remarkable job defending Duke All-ACC guard Lexie Brown, limiting her to 3-for-10 shooting.
GAME NOTES
- Belmont's loss moves the Bruins to 0-4 in NCAA Tournament games.
- The Bruins close out their historic campaign 31-4 on the season.
- The loss snaps BU's program-best 22-game win streak.
- Sally's 4 blocks made her the Ohio Valley Conference and Belmont All-Time leader with 291 career blocks.
- Belmont's loss to Duke moves the Bruins to 4-5 all-time versus ACC teams.
