The No. 1 seed and reigning OVC champion Belmont women’s basketball team eliminated the Murray State Racers 88-64 Wednesday in the first round of the OVC Tournament in Evansville, Indiana.
The Bruins came out strong, putting up a quick seven-point lead just four minutes into the first quarter. The Racers played a close game through the first, ending the quarter down by just six points.
Belmont and Murray State battled it out in the second quarter, but the Bruins held onto their lead, with a score of 32-25 at the half.
The Bruins started slow after the half, allowing the Racers’ offense to climb back on the scoreboard. While the Bruins consistently held the lead, the Racers kept scoring tight through the majority of the third quarter.
However, senior forward Kylee Smith and junior guards Darby Maggard and Jenny Roy brought back the heat for the Bruins and added 16 points, putting the team up 10 points going into the fourth.
The fourth quarter belonged entirely to the Bruins, who gained a 20-point lead with four minutes left in the game. The Racers put up 16 points in the final quarter, but ultimately couldn’t catch up.
Smith led the Bruins with 21 points and 7 assists, while senior center Sally McCabe led with 13 rebounds.
The Bruins will continue their run on the OVC title Friday at 1.p.m., taking on the winner of Thursday’s Jacksonville State vs. Morehead State matchup.
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This article written by Anna Lanning. Photo courtesy of Belmont’s Office of Communications