Fourth-Quarter Comeback Propels Bruins to 56-54 Opening Night Win Over Chattanooga

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Three quarters into the Belmont University women's basketball team's 2022-23 campaign the Bruins found themselves trailing by 14 at home to in-state adversary the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. However, 20 minutes later Belmont was celebrating an opening night victory inside the Curb Event Center.
 
Outscoring the visiting Mocs (1-1) 25-9 in the fourth quarter, the Bruins (1-0) escaped with a 56-54 season-opening victory thanks in large part to junior guard Destinee Wells' 20-point, seven-rebound performance.
 
Wells hit a pair of clutch free throws with 24.4 seconds remaining to complete Belmont's comeback and give the home team their first lead of the night at 55-54. In her first game as a Bruin, graduate transfer guard Sydni Harvey sunk a free throw with 16 seconds left and Chattanooga's Raven Thompson missed a heavily-contested shot in the paint at the buzzer.
 
Behind 47-33 with 9:15 to go, Belmont put together an impressive 13-2 run to climb within three at 49-46. Capped with a pair of Wells free throws, the Bruins got consecutive three pointers from junior forward Madison Bartley and sophomore guard Kilyn McGuff after Wells ignited the push with a conventional three-point play on a baseline floater.
 
A Wells jumper and free throws from junior guard Tuti Jones kept Belmont within three at 53-50 with just under two-and-a-half minutes left, before Bartley put the Bruins within two with two minutes on the clock. Following a Mocs turnover, Wells drew a foul and went to the foul line where she connected on both free throws to even the game at 53 with 1:42 remaining.
 
Chattanooga's Thompson went 1-for-2 at the line with 1:19 to go and Jones made a key defensive play just inside the final minute. Jones drew an offensive foul on All-Southern Conference forward Abbey Cornelius, her fifth, to set up Belmont's go-ahead sequence.
 
Bartley fought for an offensive rebound following a Wells miss and came up with a jump ball as the possession arrow favored the Bruins. Belmont then had 35.9 seconds to work with down just one at 54-53.
 
Despite being outrebounded 39-31 and outscored 28-8 in the paint, the Bruins found a way to win in the fourth quarter. Belmont went 11-for-13 at the free-throw line and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc in the final quarter. Wells scored 13 of her 20 points in the fourth as she went 7-for-7 at the charity stripe and drew five fouls.
 
The Bruins outscored the Mocs 31-25 in the second half, overcoming a 2-for-17 (11.8 percent) shooting performance in the third quarter.
 
Chattanooga outscored Belmont 16-6 in the third and took its first 14-point lead with 5:07 left in the quarter on a basket from guard Destiny McClendon.
 
Forcing 22 turnovers, the Bruins scored 23 points off the Mocs' miscues and Belmont got 18 points from its bench led by McGuff's eight points.
 
Up 29-25 at the break, Chattanooga went 9-for-14 from the floor in the opening quarter and 7-for-9 in the third quarter. However, the Mocs were held to 3-for-14 (21.4 percent) shooting without a three-point attempt in the fourth.
 
Wells' seven boards tied her career high. Jones finished with 11 points, a game-high tying three assists and a game-best four steals.
 
Chattanooga was paced by starting guard Yazz Wazeerud-Din's 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting and fellow starting guard Addie Porter's near double-double of 10 points and eight rebounds.

?? | HC @BartABrooks following the Bruins' 56-54 opening night comeback win over visiting Chattanooga ????#ItsBruinTime | #Splashville pic.twitter.com/smbATN6O1J

— Belmont WBasketball (@BelmontWBB) November 10, 2022

?? | Junior guards @tutijones3 and @DestineeWells1 following the Bruins' comeback season-opening win over Chattanooga ????#ItsBruinTime | #Splashville pic.twitter.com/tbEBjstoB4

— Belmont WBasketball (@BelmontWBB) November 10, 2022

Of Note
The Bruins have begun their season with a win over the Mocs in three of the last four years. Belmont defeated Chattanooga 88-70 on the road in its 2021-22 season opener. With 984 career points in just over two seasons, Wells is only 16 points away from becoming the Bruins' 33rd 1,000-point scorer. Harvey, sophomore transfer forward Kendal Cheesman, and freshmen guards Kate Hollifield and Brooke Highmark made their Belmont debuts.
 
Up Next
The Bruins host top-10 ranked Louisville Sunday afternoon in a marquee non-conference matchup. The Cardinals will be the first reigning Final Four team to visit the Curb. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. with the game broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Both single game and season tickets are on sale. Season tickets are only $199 per seat and include all men's and women's basketball home games. Click here to view available seating and purchase your seats.
 
Flex pack plans for the 2022-23 season are also on sale and can be purchased here. For more information, call 615-460-BALL or visit BelmontBruins.com.
 
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.