LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Despite a sizzling first quarter, the Bellarmine University women's basketball team opened the Louisville MTE on Friday afternoon by falling 55-49 to East Tennessee State at the KFC Yum! Center.

Redshirt junior forward Andrea Chiquemba buried all five of her 3-point attempts and went 6-for-8 overall from the floor in tallying a game-high 17 points for Bellarmine (2-5). Redshirt junior forward/guard Rose Jamison nearly posted a double-double with 11 rebounds and nine points, while sophomore forward Rachel Shropshire tied a career high with nine points and added five rebounds against ETSU (2-5).

Bellarmine — and Chiquemba in particular — came out scorching from the perimeter. Chiquemba nailed four 3-pointers in the first quarter alone. Jamison sank two triples in the opening period and Shropshire added another as the Knights went 7-for-10 from long range in the frame while building a 22-13 lead.

Unfortunately for Bellarmine, the Knights couldn't sustain their hot start offensively and scored a combined 27 points over the final three quarters. BU still led the entire first half and took a 28-23 advantage into the break.

Shropshire canned a 3-pointer with around four minutes left in the third to knot the score at 36, but ETSU took a 42-39 lead into the fourth. Junior guard Triniti Ralston knocked down a pair of free throws to get the Knights within 46-44 with 3:53 remaining.

Bellarmine had a stretch where it missed 3-of-4 free throws while ETSU made 3-of-4, which staked the Bucs to a 51-45 lead with 1:18 left. ETSU hit its next four shots from the charity stripe to seal the win.

Bellarmine is hosting Saturday's MTE action and will welcome Eastern Illinois to Knights Hall for a 1 p.m. (ET) contest.

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