LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Wofford women's basketball team executed on both sides of the ball to claim a 69-56 road win over Bellarmine inside Freedom Hall behind 13 steals and 39 percent shooting Saturday afternoon. The Terriers were led by Jackie Carman's 22 points, which pushed her over the 1,000-career points plateau. Wofford improves to 8-3 with the result while the Knights fall to 4-8.
 
Wofford shot 39.7 percent (23-of-58) from the field and 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from three. Though Bellarmine shot 33.3 percent (15-of-45) overall, the Knights had a rough go from distance with just a 21.4 percent clip (3-of-14).
 
"I'm really proud of our team and their effort this afternoon," said head coach Jimmy Garrity. "To come off a week of exams and travel six-and-a-half hours and beat a really good Bellarmine team is fantastic."
 
Though Bellarmine outrebounded Wofford 37-34, the Terriers were outstanding on defense. Wofford forced 22 turnovers while committing just 11, and those turnovers turned into 27 extra points for Wofford. Bellarmine secured only seven points off turnovers. The Terriers also swatted a season-high five blocks in the contest while not allowing a single Bellarmine block. Wofford's brick-wall defense held Bellarmine's leading scorer Gracie Merkle without a single point in the affair.
 
"I thought our defensive effort was outstanding, especially against (Gracie) Merkle who is basically a double-double night in and night out. We did a really good job of taking care of the ball and sharing the ball."
 
Leading the charge for the Terriers was Jackie Carman, who netted 22 points for her fourth 20-ball of the season (13^th career). No point was bigger than her ninth, which was the 1,000^th of her career. Carman becomes the 17^th Terrier in program history to join the 1,000-point club. She added five boards and three steals as well. Carman has pushed her double-digit scoring streak to 12-straight games, making her now two shy of matching the program record.
 
"It's always a great milestone to hit, and I'm just so blessed to do it in a Terrier uniform," said Carman of her milestone achievement.
 
"I'm so happy for Jackie to score her 1,000^th point today, especially in front of her family," said Garrity. "Jackie has been so consistent throughout her career. She works extremely hard on her craft, is a great teammate and has been a pleasure to coach."
 
Rachael Rose joined Carman in double figures with 11 points. Rose led the squad with five assists, adding two steals, a rebound and a block.
 
Helen Matthews led the rebounding efforts with seven, and she added seven points. The junior also swatted a block to go along with a steal and four assists. Annabelle Schultz was a defensive mastermind in the contest, notching a career-high five swipes. She scored eight points and secured four boards alongside two assists and a block.
 
Lilly Hatton recorded seven points and six rebounds in a homecoming game, as the Georgetown, Ind. native got to play in front of her family who made a short drive across the Indiana-Kentucky border. Hatton paced the team with two blocks.
 
"It was awesome to see Lilly play in front of her family, friends and community," said Garrity of Hatton's homecoming. "I think she must have had a few hundred people here to watch."
 
Ja'Rae Smith scored six points, and Indiya Clarke added four. Abbey Crawford and Sophie Smith each netted two points. Clarke and Crawford each secured a pair of rebounds.
 
Though held scoreless, Sydnee Richetto recorded a pair of steals while Jessie Parish secured a pair of boards as the duo contributed elsewhere.
 
The game was tight early as the squads traded blows and the lead, with Bellarmine notching a 10-9 edge at the 4:54 mark. But Jackie Carman drilled a triple 41 seconds later to put Wofford ahead, a lead the Terriers would not relinquish. Rachael Rose scored Wofford's final three points of the quarter as the Terriers owned a 19-13 advantage after one.
 
Wofford opened the second quarter with six-straight points, pulling out to a 25-13 margin with 6:40 remaining. The sides traded buckets and free throws, but Lilly Hatton popped a trey and put home a free throw all in the closing minute of the half to send Wofford into the break ahead 31-19.
 
The Terriers kept the momentum rolling out of halftime as Annabelle Schultz splashed a three-pointer after she swiped a steal. Another Schultz steal led to a Jackie Carman fast break bucket at the 5:51 mark, but the Knights responded with a basket to make the score 37-23. But a Helen Matthews jumper sparked a six-point run that extended Wofford's advantage to 42-23 with 4:20 to go. Matthews would convert a three-point play in the final minute, but Bellarmine also swished a pair of free shots to make the score 47-29 after three quarters.
 
The Knights opened the final frame with five-straight points, but the Terriers hit back with seven in a row, punctuated by a Lilly Hatton three. The Wofford lead stood at 20 (54-34) with 7:56 to go. The sides kept trading blows from there, and Bellarmine notched six-straight points entering the final minute, but the margin was too much. Wofford secured the 69-56 road win.
 
The Terriers continue their four-game road swing with a match-up at UNC Asheville on Monday, Dec. 19. The game against the Bulldogs is set for a 5:00 p.m. tip-off and will air simultaneously on the CW 62 and ESPN+.