Wells leads Belmont women to OVC title, NCAA tournament

Mar 5, 2022, 12:26 AM | Updated: 2:56 pm

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Destinee Wells scored 22 points and Belmont’s defense overwhelmed Tennessee Tech for a 51-29 win in the Ohio Valley Conference championship game on Saturday, sending the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in seven years.

Top-seeded Belmont, which won four-straight titles from 2016-19 and again last season, limited the second-seeded Golden Eagles to 17% shooting (9 of 52) and forced 17 turnovers to win its 12th-straight game.

Wells, a sophomore who was tournament MVP for the second time, was the only player in the game to reach double figures. She had 10 in the third quarter when the Bruins took control, making 8 of 14 shots. Wells has back-to-back with four 3-pointers early for a seven-point lead and Blair Schoenwald added consecutive 3-pointers in a 73-second span late in the quarter as the Bruins extended to a 38-24 lead.

The teams split in the regular season, both winning on the road. Belmont (22-7) won 58-49 and Tennessee Tech (20-10) won 57-55.

After Mackenzie Coleman gave Tennessee Tech a 5-2 lead with a 3-pointer, the Golden Eagles missed their next seven shots. They then made back-to-back shots in the second quarter with Megan Clark’s three-point play tying the game at 12 but missed their last nine shots of the the half to trail 17-14.

Tennessee Tech opened the third quarter with back-to-back baskets before missing six straight. After a make they missed six more before Coleman’s layup at the buzzer made it 38-26.

The Golden Eagles missed their first 10 shots of the fourth quarter before hitting the last shot of the game.

Belmont was 2 of 16 in a second quarter that saw the Bruins outscored 7-5 but shot 56% in the second half and finished the game at 39%.

___

More AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE - Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago