Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A challenging shooting night, especially from outside, for the Belmont University women's basketball team led to a 71-62 home setback to the Southeastern Conference's Auburn University Wednesday night inside the Curb Event Center. The Bruins (4-5) got a career night from freshman forward Tessa Miller who notched her first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds but were unable to overcome 34 percent shooting and 6-for-27 (22 percent) marksmanship from beyond the arc.
The visiting Tigers (6-3) used a strong second quarter and 25 fourth-quarter points to get past host Belmont in the primetime matchup.
Welcoming an SEC opponent to the Music City for the first time since December of 2013, the Bruins held their own on the glass but were outscored 46-32 in the paint and faced an 11-point deficit in free-throw shooting. Auburn had 25 trips to foul line, compared to Belmont's six, and converted 17 of its free-throw attempts.
After the game was knotted up at 13-13 following the first 10 minutes of action, the Tigers used an 18-11 second quarter of play to mount a 31-24 lead at the break.
Sophomore forward Madison Bartley began the game with a top of the key three-pointer before a defensive struggle ensued for the remainder of the quarter. A slow start by both squads resulted in a 5-5 tie at the first media timeout.
Miller reached her career high in scoring in the first quarter alone with eight points, six of which came in succession with three consecutive layups.
A layin by sophomore guard Destinee Wells with 8:56 to go in the first half gave the Bruins a 17-15 lead, Belmont's last advantage for the night. Auburn went on a 12-2 run over the next five-and-a-half minutes to take a 27-19 lead with 3:22 left in the third quarter. Sophomore guard Blair Schoenwald hit a three-pointer with about a minute remaining in the half, but the Tigers got another layup before the quarter was complete to take a seven-point lead into the locker room.
Without getting to the free-throw line until late in the third quarter, the Bruins shot 32 percent (11-of-34) in the first half and were 2-for-11 from long range. Auburn turned nine first-half Belmont turnovers into nine points.
A Bartley layup got the Bruins within three a minute into the second half and a basket from sophomore guard Tuti Jones kept Belmont within two possessions at 36-32 just past the midway point of the third quarter. However, the Tigers went on a 6-0 run to build a 10-point advantage at 42-32. The Bruins battled their way back in the final two minutes of the third quarter as a Miller layup in the closing seconds capped an 8-4 run and made it a six-point affair at 46-40.
Senior forward Conley Chinn finished off a promising 7-0 Belmont run with three-straight free throws following an Auburn foul on a three-point attempt, getting the Bruins within one at 46-45 with 8:15 left. But it would be the closest Belmont would get for the remainder of the night.
The Tigers used a 10-3 run over the next three-and-a-half minutes to extend their lead out to 56-48. Jones nailed a corner three with 3:15 remaining to make it a four-point game at 57-53 before Wells completed a conventional three-point play to close an 8-3 Bruin run. Wells' sunk free throw got Belmont within three at 59-56 with 2:42 to go, but the Bruins were outscored 12-6 down the stretch.
Triples from Schoenwald and Wells in the final 35 seconds were Belmont's only made field goals the rest of the way.
The Bruins made four of their six three pointers in the second half but were limited to 36 percent (14-of-39) shooting as Auburn shot 59 percent (13-of-22) from the floor and went 2-for-3 from distance in the final 20 minutes.
Miller led all Belmont scorers while Jones finished with 11 points and a pair of steals. Wells dished out a team-high four assists and scored 10 with Bartley, Chinn and Schoenwald contributing nine points apiece.
The non-conference tilt was the Bruins' first outing in 10 days and just Belmont's third home date after playing six of its first eight games on the road.
Up Next
The Bruins continue their lone three-game homestand of the season by welcoming Middle Tennessee Sunday afternoon for a 3 p.m. tipoff before hosting Western Kentucky next Wednesday, Dec. 22. The weekend home affair with the Lady Raiders will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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