Box Score (PDF)

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  – In a battle of the unbeaten in Ohio Valley Conference play, the Bruins of Belmont University held on for a 74-58 win over the visiting EKU Colonels at the Curb Event Center.
 
Senior Jalen O'Bannon turned in her third double-double of the season and the 18th of her career, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Colonels. Senior guard Marcella Rocha tied a career-high with seven points on 3-of-6 from the floor to go with two assists.
 
Trailing 51-41 after three, the Colonels opened the final period on a 6-0 run. O'Bannon eluded the Bruins' defense with a spin move to the rim to spark the EKU. Then on the defensive end, O'Bannon pulled down key defensive rebounds following Belmont misses to lead to points in transition for the Colonels, as Eastern trimmed the lead to six.
 
From there the teams traded baskets as the Colonels narrowed the lead to five but could not get any closer, as the Bruins ended the contest on an 18-7 run to seal the win.
 
The Colonels' resiliency was on display, as EKU stormed back from a 17-0 Belmont run. Eastern went scoreless for more than seven minutes that stretched from the closing minutes of the second period into the second half. However, the Colonels did not fret as Eastern went back to work in the fourth.
 
EKU struck first, scoring the first five points of the night. After a jumper from O'Bannon near the mid-point of the first, the Colonels held a 9-5 lead early in the contest. But the Bruins took their first lead of the game after an 8-0 run that spanned just shy of two minutes.
 
The Bruins carried a 15-11 advantage into the second frame, before senior guard Mariah Massengill shot the gap of the Belmont defense for the steal and took it the distance for the lay in to give EKU a 23-20 lead in the second.

After O'Bannon's free throw kept the EKU lead at 24-22 with 4:17 to play in the first half, the Bruins scored the next 17 points.
 
Senior Alexus Cooper also finished in double digits for the Colonels, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds.
 
For the game, the Colonels' defense held the Bruins well below their season average from three-point range. The Bruins entered Wednesday's game third in the conference, shooting 35.8 percent from deep on the season. However, EKU limited Belmont to a mere 24 percent (5-of-21) from long range.
 
The Colonels return to McBrayer Arena Saturday against Tennessee State University. Saturday's contest is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. ET tip.