Box Score SAN ANTONIO – Despite a combined 26 points from the freshman guard duo of Destinee Wells and Tuti Jones, 12th-seeded Belmont women's basketball fell to the No. 4 seed Indiana Hoosiers, 70-48, Wednesday afternoon at Bill Greehey Arena in the Round of 32.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW
Wells led the Bruins (21-6) with a team-high 16 points, while Jones chipped in a near double-double of 10 points and nine rebounds. Junior forward Conley Chinn and sophomore forward Cam Browning added seven points each, as freshman Blair Schoenwald logged six points.
The Hoosiers (20-5) were fueled by four players in double-figure scoring, with a team-high 17 points from junior guard Gracer Berger. Indiana also shot 47 percent from the field and led by a 42-35 in the rebound column.
Belmont's historic run came to an end, as it made history with its first NCAA Tournament victory on Monday to become the first OVC school to record a tournament win since 1990. The Bruins were also just the fifth OVC school ever to win an NCAA Tournament game, as they logged their first-ever win over a ranked opponent in the first round over Gonzaga.
A jumper Jones opened Belmont's scoring to tie the game at 2-2 after one minute of play. Consecutive buckets from Wells put the Bruins up two points, but the Hoosiers tied it back up by the four-minute mark. Browning knocked down a jumpshot in Belmont's final field goal of the quarter at the 3:17 mark. Still, Indiana took a 15-12 advantage after one period of action.
Following a pair of field goals from Indiana, the Bruins answered with four straight points from Wells to cut their deficit to 20-16 by the 6:31 mark. However, the Hoosiers responded with a 6-0 run, stymied by a layup from Browning with over four minutes remaining. Indiana received four points to end the second quarter and take a 30-18 lead into the half.
At halftime, Belmont was held to just 24 percent shooting on eight field goals, while the Hoosiers shot 48 percent from the floor. The Bruins still forced six turnovers and matched Indiana's points in the paint (10) through two periods.
Jones opened the second half with a three to whittle the Hoosiers' advantage to single-digits, but three points from the free throw line kept Indiana up 35-23 by the six-minute mark. A pair of layups from Wells cut down the lead, as the Hoosiers held a 37-27 lead into the media timeout. Jones took over with five points to end the quarter, but Indiana still led 51-33 going into the final period.
Despite a pair of 3-pointers from freshman guard Blair Schoenwald, the Hoosiers led a 13-6 charge to take a 64-39 lead by the midway point of the fourth quarter. A 3-pointer from Chinn and four consecutive points helped cut down the Belmont deficit. However, Indiana still went on to round out the 70-48 win.
Overall, the Bruins finished with 20 points in the paint and received 15 points from their bench. Junior guard Jamilyn Kinney dished out a team-high three assists, while five different Belmont players grabbed three-plus rebounds.
HISTORY MADE: In its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance, the Bruins logged their first-ever tournament win and first win over a ranked opponent in school history. They also became the fifth OVC team ever to win a NCAA Tournament game and the first since 1990.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY: Belmont's 21-6 record this season marked their sixth consecutive year with 20-plus victories.
COLLECTING HARDWARE: With their OVC Tournament Championship win on March 6, the Bruins became just the third OVC team ever to win five tournament championships in a six-year span.
