MARYVILLE, Tenn. - Belhaven Women's Basketball battled through a tightly-contested conference matchup but came up short in a 59-54 road loss Saturday afternoon at the Cooper Athletic Center. The Blazers moved to 12-2 overall and 5-1 in conference play.

The game featured 16 lead changes and three ties, with neither team leading by more than single digits until the final minutes. Belhaven finished with advantages in points in the paint (36-28) and second-chance points (19-7), but cold shooting stretches proved costly.

The opening quarter was physical and defensive-minded. Belhaven struggled to find an early rhythm offensively but stayed within striking distance by attacking the glass. Kyla Farmer provided a spark off the bench with second-chance points, and Savannah Hailey converted a fast-break layup following a steal to halt an early run.

Late in the quarter, Belhaven capitalized at the free-throw line. Ny Jones knocked down two free throws in the final seconds to erase a deficit and tie the game at 15-15 heading into the second.

Belhaven briefly took control early in the second. Veronica Williams scored in transition, and Katelyn Coleman followed with a finish in the paint to give the Blazers a four-point edge. The quarter settled into a back-and-forth stretch with five lead changes.

Hailey carried the offensive load during the middle of the period, scoring on multiple finishes in the lane to keep Belhaven in front. Despite strong interior play, a late run by Maryville swung momentum, and Belhaven went into halftime trailing 34-33.

The third quarter featured another series of swings. Coleman opened the half with a basket inside, and Williams added a fast-break layup to spark a 6-2 run that briefly put Belhaven ahead.

The Scots answered with a push that included transition baskets and perimeter shooting. Belhaven countered behind Hailey, who scored twice in the paint to pull the Blazers back within two. A late run, however, gave the home team a 48-43 edge heading into the fourth after Belhaven was held to 10 points in the quarter.

Belhaven continued to fight in the final period. Hailey scored four straight points in the opening minutes to trim the margin to five. After a defensive stop, she added another putback to cut the deficit to 54-49 with just over three minutes remaining.

The Blazers had multiple opportunities to close the gap further but were unable to convert. Coleman finished a fast-break layup with under two minutes left, and Hailey knocked down a three-pointer at the 1:14 mark to pull Belhaven within three. Maryville answered in transition, and Belhaven was unable to complete the comeback in the final possessions.

Hailey led all scorers with 22 points, while Coleman added 10 points and nine rebounds. Williams chipped in eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds as Belhaven finished with 48 rebounds and forced 16 turnovers.

The Blazers head back on the road, traveling to LaGrange on Thursday in a rematch from earlier this month where the Blazers won 75-70. Tip-off is set for 4:00 PM.

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