Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Career nights from junior guard Jamilyn Kinney and freshman forward Madison Bartley fueled Belmont women's basketball past the Tennessee State Lady Tigers, 68-52, at the Gentry Center Monday night.
Kinney posted a career-high 21 points on seven 3-pointers, while Bartley stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three steals, all of which set or tied season high marks. Freshman guard Whitney Hay chipped in a near double-double of eight points and a season-high nine boards from the bench.
In total, the Bruins (8-4, 5-2 OVC) shot 40 percent from the field, hit 12 threes and dished out 18 assists in the road victory. Belmont also led the rebound category by a 37-27 margin and received 31 points from its bench.
The Lady Tigers (0-13, 0-11 OVC) were led by senior guard Andreana Wrister, who tallied 22 points with six 3-pointers made.
To begin the game, the Bruins got off to a slow start, as a 3-pointer from Wrister put Tennessee State up 10-8 at the 5:41 mark. The two teams continued to trade buckets, when a 3-pointer courtesy of Kinney knotted the game up at 17 apiece with three minutes left. Bartley finished out the first period with consecutive field goals to put Belmont on top, 21-19, after 10 minutes of play.
The Bruins shut down the Lady Tigers in the second quarter, as they allowed just five points in the period. Back-to-back threes from freshman Blair Schoenwald and Kinney gave Belmont its first double-digit lead by the two-minute mark. Tennessee State went on to hit its first shot of the quarter with under one minute remaining. Schoenwald splashed another 3-pointer with 45 seconds left in the half to give the Bruins a 32-24 lead at halftime.
At the half, Bartley and Kinney combined for 19 of Belmont's points, while six different Bruins logged points in the first 20 minutes of the game. Belmont grabbed seven steals and forced 11 first-half turnovers, as junior guard Maddie Cook dished out a team-high four assists.
Despite a pair of 3-point makes from Kinney, the Lady Tigers cut down their deficit to just three points by the 4:33 mark of the third period. However, the freshman duo of Bartley and Hay combined for nine points to round out the quarter and help Belmont back out to a 48-42 advantage leading into the final period.
The Bruins nailed two treys in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter to extend their lead to nine points. Still, a jumper from Tennessee State at the 5:16 mark put them within striking distance once again, as it trailed by just seven points. However, Belmont responded with a 11-2 run in the final minutes of the game to take home the 68-52 victory.
Overall, all eight Bruins tallied points in the win, as Cook finished with a team-high six assists and five points. Belmont grabbed 10 steals on the Lady Tigers, as it has recorded double-digit steals in all but three games this year. The tandem of Schoenwald and Chinn added six points each for the Bruins.
FRESHMEN SHOWING OUT: Freshman forward Madison Bartley's season-high 17 points became the 18th time this year that a Belmont freshman has tabbed double-figure points. Bartley is the fourth different freshman to rack up 10-plus points in a game for the Bruins this season.
BULLYING ON THE BOARDS: The Bruins led on the glass by a 37-27 margin Monday night, which marks their second-highest rebound margin of the year.
BENCH CONTRIBUTIONS: With 31 bench points against the Lady Tigers, Belmont received its second-most points from the bench this season. The Bruins' season-high of 37 bench points came against Tennessee State at home on Dec. 10.
UP NEXT: Belmont finishes out the week with a pair of road contests at Eastern Illinois on Thursday (4:30 p.m.) and at SIU Edwardsville on Saturday (4 p.m.).
