Box Score RICHMOND, Ky. – Senior Ellie Harmeyer's fourth-consecutive 20-point double-double fueled the Belmont Bruins in an 85-46 rout of the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at McBrayer Arena Saturday afternoon.
Three other Bruins (19-8, 14-2 OVC) recorded double-figure points, as they recorded their second-highest point total and shot over 50 percent from the field for the third time this year. Belmont also tied its season high in 3-pointers made (12) and hit a season-best 60 percent of its attempts from deep range.
Harmeyer registered 23 points and 13 rebounds in 23 minutes played, while she shot 8-for-12 from the field in the victory. Sophomore Jamilyn Kinney added 13 points and a team-best five assists, as senior Maddie Wright tallied 11 points and three rebounds. Freshman Nikki Baird chipped in a season and career-best 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Colonels (10-17, 4-12 OVC) were led by the junior duo of Teri Goodlett and Bria Bass, who combined for 22 points and nine rebounds.
The Bruins held Eastern Kentucky to 27.3 percent shooting from the field, as they recorded 38 points in the paint, racked up 24 bench points and dished out a season-high 21 assists.
Harmeyer and senior Maura Muensterman combined for three early 3-pointers to jump Belmont out to a 9-0 run through the first three minutes of the game. The Colonels were held scoreless until the 4:31 mark of the period. Harmeyer and junior Madison Treece meshed for the Bruins' final five points of the quarter, as they took a 14-9 advantage after 10 minutes of play.
Kinney struck from 3-point range at the 8:28 mark to give Belmont its first double-figure lead of the contest, 19-9. Muensterman and Wright nailed consecutive 3-pointers to boost the Bruin lead to 29-13 at the halfway point of the second quarter. The freshmen tandem of Baird and Kiki Britzmann nabbed six points in the remainder of the period to give Belmont a hefty 41-17 lead at halftime. The Bruins shot 11-for-17 from the field in the second period (64.7 percent).
At the half, Harmeyer notched a near double-double of 17 points and nine rebounds on 70 percent shooting, while six other Bruins tallied points. Belmont hit six 3-pointers, handed out 11 assists and grabbed five steals through the first pair of quarters.
Harmeyer kicked off the second half with a jumper to extend the Bruins' advantage to 26 points at the 9:34 mark. Wright and Kinney tabbed back-to-back fast break layup at the six-minute mark, as a pair of free throws from Harmeyer gave Belmont a 52-22 lead. Baird logged her first 3-pointer of the afternoon with less than four minutes left, while Treece tallied the Bruins' last points of the third quarter on a jumper at the 1:45 mark. Belmont entered the final period with a convincing 61-33 lead.
Freshman Cam Browning knocked down a pull-up jumper at the 8:22 mark to bump the Belmont advantage to 30 points. Kinney and Muensterman combined for a trio of 3-pointers in a two-minute span, as the Bruins kept a 74-38 lead at the midway point of the fourth period. Baird capped off the quarter with consecutive 3-pointers with one minute remaining in the game, while Belmont went on to notch the 85-46 road victory.
In total, the Bruins outrebounded Eastern Kentucky by a 47-39 margin, as the duo of Muensterman and Britzmann combined for 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the starting lineup. Browning added seven points on a 3-of-4 clip from the foul line, while Treece rounded out the day with six points, five rebounds and a pair of assists. The Bruins finished with a season-high eight steals against the Colonels.
SPECIAL SEASON: Ellie Harmeyer has posted eight 20-point double-doubles in her last 10 outings and has logged double-figure points in all but one contest this year. She remains the only player in the nation that averages over 18 points and 12 rebounds, as she has 20 total double-doubles on the season.
HEATING UP: Belmont's current six-game winning streak is its longest of the 2019-20 season.
GETTIN' BUCKETS: With 31 made shots against Eastern Kentucky, the Bruins logged their first game with 30-plus field goals made since Feb. 23, 2019.
FIRST-HALF CLAMPS: Belmont allowed just 17 first-half points from the Colonels, which marked the third time they have allowed 17 or few points in the first two quarters this year. The Bruins have also reached in the mark in two of their last three contests.
UP NEXT: Belmont returns home for Senior Night against Tennessee Tech on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. in the Curb Event Center.
