Women's Basketball Loses to Ohio State in Final Minutes

Photo courtesy of Belmont Athletics, Zachary Timmerman

Belmont women’s basketball team lost at home to No.12 Ohio State 63-67 last night in a nail biter. 

Ohio State sunk a three to start the game, but they never got too far ahead of the Bruins.  

Belmont played to their strengths, capitalizing on their quick defense and steals. 

A defensive steal from the Bruins led to a layup from graduate guard Tuti Jones to give them their first lead of the game.  

But the Buckeyes full court pressed the Bruins most of the game, causing turnovers and making it harder for Belmont to get up the court.  

Despite that, the Bruins kept the score close, going into the locker room at halftime down by just four points.  

Belmont had a 19-point second half run that set them up for success against the aggressive Ohio State team.  

With five minutes remaining in the game, the Bruins were up nine points and seemed to have found their groove.  

But the Buckeyes were not finished. 

A three gave them a four-point lead with only a couple minutes left. 

The last couple minutes felt like a lifetime in the Curb Event Center with fans from both sides up on their feet.  

It was anyone’s game.  

Belmont made four free throws in a row to tie the game back up with 36 seconds to play.  

But the Buckeyes put away an and-one opportunity to give them a comfortable lead.  

The Bruins had 1.8 seconds left after their timeout and no four-point chances to be seen.  

The game ended in a heartbreaking Belmont loss, 67-63. 

“Our team gave it everything we had. We fought until the end. We just have to make a few more plays down the stretch but overall, I’m really proud of how our team handled everything,” said graduate guard Kendall Holmes.  

The Bruins went 12-14 at the free throw line, compared to the Buckeyes 13-25. 

Holmes led Belmont with 19 points and junior guard Emily La Chapell was right behind with 13.  

The Bruins ended with 48 rebounds, 10 second chance points and 13 points off turnovers.  

“This wasn’t a surprise for me. I expected to be in this game and have a chance to win and that’s a credit to our players, they put us in a position to do that,” said head coach Bart Brooks.  

The Bruins travel to North Carolina on Thursday to compete with nationally ranked Duke.  

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This article was written by Bree Fabbie