2014 OVC Women's Basketball Championship - Semifinals

3/7/2014 8:00:02 AM

#1 UT MARTIN 97,#5 EASTERN KENTUCKY 45
NASHVILLE - The University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team wasted little time taking command of the this afternoon’s game, bursting out to a 22-0 lead before knocking off No. 5 seed Eastern Kentucky in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinals 97-45. With the victory, the Skyhawks advance to the OVC Tournament finals for the fourth consecutive season with an NCAA berth on the line against No. 2 seed Belmont on Saturday, March 8 at 1 p.m.

The Skyhawks (23-7, 15-1 OVC) posted the highest margin of victory in an OVC Tournament matchup with the 52 point win, shattering the previous record of 35 set in 1986, while ranking tied for the third highest margin in program history. The top-seeded Skyhawks shot an impressive 52 percent from the floor while forcing 23 turnovers and holding the Lady Colonels to an opponent-low 45 points, including just 21 second half points.

Led by the play of tournament veterans, senior guards Heather Butler and Jasmine Newsome combined for 44 points on the day. Butler, the newly appointed OVC Player of the Year, scored a game high 23 points and three steals while notching her 127th consecutive game in double figures, ranking fifth in NCAA history, and notching her fifth straight game with 20 points or more.

Newsome tallied 21 points and six assists on the day, passing Tennessee Tech’s Cheryl Taylor on the OVC’s all-time scoring list with 2,533 career points. Butler and Newsome now sit in first and second, respectively, on the OVC’s scoring leaderboard.

Joining the duo of Butler and Newsome in double figures was the trio of Elizabeth Masengil, Ashia Jones and Karisma Tyson. Masengil tallied 11 points and five rebounds while Jones and Tyson scored 10 points each. Today’s game marked just the fourth time this season in which the Skyhawks placed five players in double figures.

Eastern Kentucky (17-13, 9-7 OVC) shot just 29 percent from the floor and placed two players in double figures. Mariah Massengill led the way for the Lady Colonels with 12 points while Jasmine Henshaw tallied 10 points.

UT Martin jumped out to an early 7-0 run against the Lady Colonels. Newsome got the Skyhawks going early with five of the team’s first seven points while the Skyhawk defense forced three turnovers, causing EKU to call their first timeout at the 16:33 mark. The Skyhawks kept up the pace, forcing another pair of turnovers while moving their run out to 15-0 following a pair of trifectas from Newsome and Katie Schubert as EKU called their second timeout with 15:36 to play in the first.

The Skyhawks would ultimately start the game with a 22-0 run before the Lady Colonels knocked down their first shot of the game at the 14:26 mark by Massengill. Taking a 22-3 lead into the 11:59 media, the Skyhawks were led by Newsome who reached double figures.

UT Martin would continue to dominate the game when turning to the bench over the next couple minutes, putting together another 12-3 as Jones tallied four points during the span. Receiving production from their bench, the Skyhawks saw Elizabeth Masengil, Karisma Tyson and Tiara Caldwell all knock down field goals during the stretch.

Eastern Kentucky would make a push at trying to get back in the contest, but were still outscored 10-9 over the next four minutes of play. Michaela Hunter led the Lady Colonels with five of the team’s nine points during the span while Newsome tallied an addition five points.

UT Martin would end the first half with a 56-24 lead. Eastern Kentucky’s 24 points tied for the second least amount of points the Skyhawks have allowed in a single half this season. Newsome led all scorers with 17 points and five assists, moving into second place on the OVC’s all-time scoring list. Five other Skyhawks scored six points or more in the first half. The Lady Colonels were led in scoring by Amadi Brooks who tallied seven points.

The Skyhawks opened the second half with a quick 22-16 advantage through the first eight minutes of play. During the span the Skyhawks saw both Butler and Jones join Newsome in double figures as Butler led the way with eight points. UT Martin would lead 78-40 with 11:27 to play in the game.

UT Martin would go into the final media timeout with a 6-0 run as the reserves took the game into the final minutes before ending the game on a 12-2 run as Masengil and Tyson both reached double figures. With the 97-45 victory, the Skyhawks will move on to play No. 2 seed Belmont in the OVC Tournament finals, slated for Saturday, March 8 at 1 p.m.

#2 BELMONT 65, #6 JACKSONVILLE STATE 50
NASHVILLE - The Belmont women's basketball team used a complete effort on both sides of the ball to knock off No. 6 Jacksonville State on Friday at the OVC Tournament. Fueled by a banner day by junior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.), the No. 2 seeded Bruins (14-16) advanced to the Finals with a handy defeat of the Gamecocks (14-18), 65-50.

The Bruins jumped out to a 9-0 run to open the third meeting of the season between the programs and did not relinquish the lead for the duration. JSU used a triple to trim the Bruin lead to three, 15-12, by the 11 minute mark but baskets by Lauren Thompson (Franklin, Tenn.) and junior Katie Carroll (Lilburn, Ga.) stretched the BU lead once again.

Using an 11-0 run, capped by a triple by Carroll from the left corner, the Bruins grabbed their first double digit lead of the game 24-14, with just over seven minutes left on the clock. Belmont blew its first half lead up to as many as 16 before successive trips to the line by Candace Morton moved the Gamecocks to within nine, 32-23, finishing a 7-0 run with two minutes left before the break. However, the Bruins continued to pile on the points in the waning minutes, taking a 37-25 lead into the locker room.

The Bruins resumed their hot shooting and stingy defense to open the second stanza. Belmont used a 7-0 run to pull away 46-29 by the 15:19 mark behind shots by redshirt freshman Frankie Joubran (Detroit, Mich.), sophomore Blair Bryce (Red Oak, Texas), junior Taylor Mills (Corryton, Tenn.) and a three by junior Jordyn Luffman (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.).

Belmont continued to roll and build a 22-point advantage, 56-34, behind back-to-back treys by Carroll, and buckets by Luffman and a pair at the stripe by junior Adrienne Tarrence (Bowling Green, Ky.). Jacksonville State showed signs of life around the five minute mark and put together a 10-2 run to move within 13, 60-47, but that would be as close as it would come.

Two minutes later, the Bruins began using the clock to their advantage with a slowed pace that saw them continue to score from the stripe and the hardwood. JSU netted a three pointer with eight seconds remaining on the clock but the stretch of free throws by Joubran and Tarrence, capped with a jumper by junior Torie Vaught (Maryville, Tenn.) sealed the 65-50 win.

Jacksonville State shot 32.1 percent from the floor, 28.6 percent from three-point range and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line.

The Gamecocks were led in scoring by Candace Morton, who contributed 16 points. Destany McLin added 10 points in the effort.

Belmont shot 40 percent from the hardwood, 28.6 from behind the three-point arc and 84.6 percent from the charity stripe. The Bruins held the advantage in rebounds, 45-32, assists, 17-13, blocks, 3-2, and steals, 4-1. BU also tallied a season-low six turnovers in the win.

Belmont was led in scoring by Carroll, who scored a career-high 23 points and matched her career-best from behind the arc with five. Luffman pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. Thompson dropped in 10 points and notched a game-high two blocks. Mills collected six assists while Tarrence collected a game-high two steals.