LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Interstat) — In a decisive non-conference women’s basketball matchup, the Morehead State Eagles used a dominant first quarter to set the tone and never looked back, defeating the Bellarmine Knights 84-68 on Friday night at Knights Hall.

The Eagles, who evened their record at 1-1, exploded for 21 points in the opening period while holding the Knights to just 12, establishing a lead they would not relinquish. The Knights, also moving to 1-1 on the young season, could not recover from the early deficit despite a more competitive second and third quarter.

Morehead State’s offense was fueled by a potent one-two punch from guards Landon Forbes and Laura Toffali. Forbes, a 5-foot-6 sophomore from Wichita, Kansas, stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes of action. Her backcourt partner, Toffali, a 5-9 junior from Villasanta, Italy, was equally impressive, contributing 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

The Eagles’ commanding start was key. After Bellarmine’s Kayce Hyman hit a 3-pointer for the game’s first points, Morehead State answered with a 9-0 run. The surge was capped by an early technical foul assessed to the Bellarmine bench, leading to free throws and a layup from Kate Dike that pushed the lead to 8-3. The Knights struggled with turnovers and missed shots throughout the quarter, allowing the Eagles to build a 21-12 advantage after ten minutes.

Bellarmine found some rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring Morehead State 20-19 behind the play of Triniti Ralston. The Louisville native and 5-5 guard led the Knights with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists. A 3-pointer from Ava Smith, who finished with 14 points, brought Bellarmine within seven points late in the half, but a 3-pointer from Morehead State’s Violet McNece in the final minute sent the Eagles into the break with a 40-32 lead.

The third quarter saw the Knights make their most sustained push, chipping away at the deficit. A driving layup from Ralston, followed by a converted free throw after a foul, cut the Eagles’ lead to just four points. However, every time Bellarmine threatened, Morehead State had an answer, often from Forbes or Toffali. A late layup from Bellarmine’s Rose Jamison, who scored 12 points, sent the game into the final period with the Eagles leading 60-53.

Any hope of a Bellarmine comeback was extinguished in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Morehead State opened the period on a 9-2 run, with baskets from Circe Rubio Remolar, Laura Toffali, and Marie Sepp stretching the lead to 69-55. The Knights could get no closer than 12 points the rest of the way as the Eagles closed out the victory, scoring 24 points in the final quarter to seal the 16-point win.

Beyond the standout performances of Forbes and Toffali, Morehead State received significant contributions from Violet McNece, who had 13 points, five rebounds and three blocks, and Marie Sepp, who came off the bench to score 12 points. For Bellarmine, Seairra Hughes provided a spark off the bench with seven points and five rebounds in just nine minutes of play.

The game was a reversal of fortune from the preseason statistical projections, as Interstat’s ELO system had heavily favored Bellarmine with an 87.7 percent probability to win. The announced attendance at Knights Hall was 450.

Both teams continue their seasons on Thursday, Nov. 13. Morehead State will travel to face Ohio, while Bellarmine faces a tough road test at Ohio State.