Belmont women’s basketball secured a 73-54 victory against rival Murray State University Friday night.
From the first several minutes of the game, the Bruins were led by freshman Jailyn Banks and her 3-point shot.
Quickly, the Bruins brought the score to 5 - 0, but Murray State didn’t give up, finding ways to keep it close.
But Belmont gained the lead 13 –10 to end the quarter after a basket by sophomore Emily La Chapell.
The student section cheered as the Bruins set the tone for the second quarter, refusing to back down on defense and sinking several 3-pointers.
By the end of the second quarter, the Bruins gained a significant advance on Murray State.
A layup by junior Tessa Miller with two seconds left, giving Belmont the 35 – 23 lead at half.
Throughout the third quarter, the Bruins controlled the momentum of the game, giving the Racers more than they could handle and taking a 52-41 lead going into the fourth.
In the fourth quarter, the Bruins continued to punish the Racers on both sides of the ball, making sure to maintain a big lead in front of the home crowd.
With this win, the Bruins improve to 16 – 5, moving first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 9 – 1 record.
Head coach Bart Brooks said he was very confident with the Bruins’ win against a strong rival.
With a great start to the second half of the season, Brooks felt the big win was enough encouragement for the team to keep their streak of success at home or away.
"I'm really proud of the resillience of the group. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, they challenged us and they pushed us, but we had an answer everytime,” said Brooks.
The Bruins travel to Missouri State on Friday, looking to keep stay on top of the MVC standings.
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This article was written by Lily Koleas