Box Score CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Behind four double-figure scorers and a career-high 21 points from sophomore forward Madison Bartley, the Belmont University women's basketball team defeated the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 88-70 on the road to begin its 2021-22 season. The Bruins (1-0) overcame foul trouble and a second-half surge by the host Mocs (0-1) before outscoring UT Chattanooga 20-14 in the fourth quarter.
Belmont used a blistering first quarter of shooting to take a commanding 30-13 lead after 10 minutes of play. Shooting 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from the floor in the opening quarter, the Bruins started 6-for-9 from deep.
Never trailing in the contest, Belmont got 24 points off 15 Mocs turnovers and came up with 11 steals. The Bruins scored 23 of their points off the bench and tallied 14 off the fastbreak.
Bartley accounted for Belmont's first seven points of the game, including a triple on the Bruins' opening possession, and senior guard Jamilyn Kinney hit a three to put the visitors up 10-6. Making her collegiate debut, freshman guard Kilyn McGuff scored her first career points while getting fouled as Belmont mounted a 12-point, 25-12 lead. Senior forward Conley Chinn capped the first quarter with a deep, banked-in three right before the buzzer.
Building their largest lead late in the quarter, the Bruins shot 50 percent (7-of-14) in the second quarter. Freshman forward Tessa Miller scored her first collegiate points on a pair of free throws to give Belmont a 19-point, 32-13 lead and McGuff knocked down a long ball to put the Bruins in front 37-18 with eight minutes to go before the break.
All seven of sophomore guard Blair Schoenwald's points on the night came in the second quarter with her second set of free throws giving Belmont a 21-point, 53-32 lead with just under a minute to go in the half.
The Bruins took a 53-34 lead into the locker room after shooting 56.3 percent (18-of-32) in the first half, including going 7-for-14 from distance. Defensively, Belmont held Chattanooga to 39.4 percent (13-of-33) in the first 20 minutes of action and the Mocs connected on just two of their nine three-point attempts (22.2 percent).
Chattanooga came out in the second half determined to get back into the game and used a 13-4 run over 3:12 to crawl within 10 at 57-47. However, a three pointer by sophomore guard Tuti Jones put Belmont back up by 16 at 64-48 with five minutes to go in the third. Outscoring the Bruins 22-15 in the quarter, the Mocs climbed within six at 68-62 with a three by guard Destiny McClendon. Her shot capped a 14-7 run over a six-and-a-half-minute period that stretched from the third into the fourth quarter and got Chattanooga within two possessions with just under nine minutes to go.
From there it was all Bruins.
Finishing off the game on a 20-8 run over the final 7:44, Belmont got key baskets from sophomore guard Destinee Wells and Chinn. Bartley made two layups to keep the Bruins in front by 11 at 77-66 and 79-68, before extending Belmont's advantage to 16 at 84-68 with a three with just three minutes remaining.
Jones and junior forward Cam Browning scored the final points of the game as the Bruins didn't allow the Mocs to score for the final 2:27. Nine of Bartley's 21 total points came in the fourth quarter.
Belmont finished 48.6 percent (34-of-70) for the night and went 12-for-30 (40 percent) from beyond the arc, while Chattanooga was 45.8 percent (27-of-59) from the floor and only 3-for-17 (17.6 percent) from outside. Both teams shot under 55 percent from the free-throw line, the Bruins going 8-for-15 (53.3 percent) and the Mocs 13-for-24 (54.2 percent).
All five of Belmont's starters racked up three or more fouls with only Wells playing more than 30 minutes. Going 9-for-14 overall and 3-for-4 from three-point land, Bartley added a trio of rebounds and an assist. Wells scored 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting, dished out eight assists and grabbed four rebounds, while both Chinn and Jones finished with 10 points each. Jones also had four assists and three boards and Kinney distributed five assists and had a game-high three steals.
Chattanooga got 16 points from both forward Abbey Cornelius and guard Brooke Hampel. Cornelius had a near double-double with nine rebounds as guard Dena Jarrells scored nine and handed out eight assists. Guard Sigrun Olafsdottir added 11 points for the Mocs.
Up Next
The Bruins resume their season-opening three-game road trip Thursday night when they visit receiving-votes Ole Miss. Tipoff from the Pavilion at Ole Miss is slated for 7 p.m. The non-conference tilt will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
Belmont season tickets, which include the entire men's and women's basketball home schedule, are on sale now at BelmontBruins.com/Tickets, in addition to flex packs, single game tickets and group experiences. Fans can also call or text 615.460.BALL (2255).
To become a Bruin Club member, contact Russell Grimm at (615) 460-5668 or russell.grimm@belmont.edu.
Follow Belmont women's basketball on social media - @BelmontWBB on Twitter, @belmontwbb on Instagram and Belmont Women's Basketball on Facebook - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
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