Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A last-second 3-pointer from senior Maura Muensterman gave the Belmont Bruins a 69-68 victory over the Lipscomb Lady Bisons at Allen Arena Wednesday night. The Bruins improved their all-time record to 48-26 in the Battle of the Boulevard, as they have logged 11-consecutive victories in the series.
Muensterman knocked down a shot from deep range to give Belmont (4-5) a one point lead with 0.6 seconds remaining. The Lady Bisons (2-8) were unable to get a shot off as time expired.
The Bruins were fueled by a combined 53 points from the senior trio of Ellie Harmeyer (21), Maddie Wright (16) and Muensterman (16). Harmeyer notched her fifth double-double of the season with 15 rebounds, as sophomore Jamilyn Kinney dished out a team-high five assists.
Lipscomb had five players with double-figure points, as junior Taylor Clark led the team with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Wright kicked off Belmont's scoring on the evening with a make from beyond-the-arc one minute into the contest. The two teams traded buckets, until Wright struck again from 3-point range to give the Bruins an 8-5 advantage at the 6:23 mark. Freshman Kiki Britzmann capped off a 6-0 Belmont run with a slashing layup in the paint with four minutes remaining in the first quarter. However, the Lady Bisons scored 12-straight points to take a 17-11 lead through the first 10 minutes.
A layup from Muensterman at the 8:58 mark of the second quarter sparked an 8-2 run for Belmont, who knotted the game up at 19-19 four minutes in. Harmeyer and Muensterman combined for the Bruins' final nine points of the period. However, it was not enough to take a lead going into the half, as Lipscomb entered the half up 28-26.
Belmont held its rival to 33 percent shooting from the floor on a 10-of-30 clip from the field. Wright, Muensterman and Harmeyer meshed for 24 of the Bruins' first-half points, as Harmeyer brought down eight rebounds after two quarters.
Wright and Britzmann knocked down consecutive 3-pointers in under 60 seconds to give Belmont a 35-34 advantage three minutes into the second half. Sophomore Conley Chinn put in a reverse layup to propel a 5-0 Bruin run at the 3:52 mark. Sophomore Maddie Cook finished off Belmont's third-quarter scoring to give the squad a 46-45 lead going into the final quarter of play.
Muensterman and Kinney nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the Bruin lead to 52-48 one minute into the fourth quarter. Chinn hit a deep range shot to award Belmont a five-point advantage with five minutes remaining, but the Lady Bisons responded with 10-0 streak.
Lipscomb held a 65-61 lead with one minute left in the game. The Bruins answered with five-straight points from the charity stripe to take a 66-65 lead with 20 seconds remaining. The Lady Bisons hit a layup and tacked on another point from the free throw line to take a two-point advantage with under three seconds to play. After an advance to half court from a Belmont timeout, Muensterman hit a contested 3-pointer to win the 74th Battle of the Boulevard.
Overall, the Bruins outrebounded Lipscomb by a 43-34 margin and held them to 40 percent shooting from the floor. The Wednesday night matchup featured six tied scores and 13 lead changes.
KICKING IT INTO GEAR: Belmont tallied 43 points in the second half against the Lady Bisons, its most points in a half this year.
RECENT DOMINANCE: The Bruins now lead the Battle of the Boulevard series by a 24-6 margin in the NCAA Division I era.
AMONG THE ELITE: Harmeyer tallied her fifth double-double of the season and the 22nd of her career against the Lady Bisons on Wednesday. She leads the Ohio Valley Conference in rebounds per game and has recorded a double-double in three of her last four outings.
UP NEXT: Belmont returns to the Curb Event Center for an in-state matchup with Middle Tennessee Saturday at 3 p.m. They then hit the road to Milwaukee, Wisc. for their final non-conference contest of the season at Marquette on Dec. 21.
QUOTES:
Maura Muensterman, Senior Guard
On the final shot: "I think in moments like that it is almost like pressure is actually released because there is nothing to think about. I knew I was just shooting it. I know I have teammates that believe in me and a head coach who also does to the fullest and that is incredible."
On winning the Battle of the Boulevard: "Winning this game means a lot to me. It is obviously a rivalry game and, personally, a game I have sat out of most of my time here at Belmont. So, it is exciting to be out there and be a part of it. I am really proud of our team for not backing down in that last stretch. It was huge. I get to leave Belmont having never lost a Battle of the Boulevard and that is such a blessing."
