HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A massive 18-3 fourth quarter run was too much to overcome as Alabama A&M (1-1, 0-0 SWAC) dropped a 71-55 decision to Belmont (3-2, 1-0 OVC) in an NCAA Division I women's basketball game on Friday, December 18.
 
Junior forward Dariauna Lewis (Omaha, Neb.) delivered another sensational performance with 16 points and 12 rebounds, including four off the offensive glass, while redshirt-junior center Elexis Evans (Greensboro, Ala.) just missed a double-double with eight points and 10 caroms.
 
She was joined by senior guard Deshawna Harper (Indianapolis, Ind.) with 14 points, four boards and a pair of assists and by senior guard Nigeria Jones (Lincoln, Neb.) with five points, five rebounds and five assists. Sophomore forward Ariana Powe (Huntsville, Ala.) rounded out the top performers with six boards.
 
A&M would score the first two buckets and hold a 4-0 lead on three occasions, the last of those at 8-4 with 5:22 gone by. At that point a triple by Jamilyn Kinney and layup by Maddie Cook flipped the script and gave the Bruins a 9-8 advantage with just under four minutes left in the opening frame. That also ignited a series of four lead changes, the last being a 16-13 spread that Belmont would take into the second quarter.
 
A three by Tuti Jones to lead off that frame pushed it to a six-point margin before the Bulldogs narrowed the gap to 21-19 just three minutes in. It would be a short-lived rally, however as BU went on an 8-2 run to extend to a 29-21 advantage by the 4:24 mark. A&M would get as close as 31-28 before a pair of Belmont threes made it 37-28 in advance of a seven-point spread heading into the half.
 
Once again the game would tighten up, this time as AAMU cut the deficit to 39-38 behind an 8-2 burst of their own at the start of the third, this one fueled by five points from Lewis. From there the teams would be separated by no more than four points through the rest of the quarter as BU took a 49-45 lead into the final 10 minutes.
 
Following three straight points from Lewis to make it 51-48 with 8:23 to play, the Bruins would impose their will as they exploded for an 18-3 run that took that three-point lead to a healthy, and insurmountable, 69-51 margin with 2:45 remaining. The Bulldogs would get no closer than the final margin of 16 points the rest of the way as Belmont closed out the 71-55 victory behind the late surge.
 
Conley Chinn led three Bruins in double-figures with 13 points but it would be Destinee Wells that would fuel the offense with 12 points and a game-high eight assists. Jones added 12 points as well while anchoring the defensive side with six steals to go with three boards and a pair of assists. Madison Bartley delivered eight points, five caroms and three assists and Nikki Baird and Kinney had nine and eight points, respectively
 
The Bulldogs are now off until Wednesday, December 30 when they host Nicholls State. Game time is set for 2 p.m. at Elmore Gymnasium.