Women's Basketball Welcomes UIC for New Year’s Day Matchup

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont University women's basketball team will begin the new year with a matinee Missouri Valley Conference home game Sunday as the Bruins (5-7, 1-0 MVC) host the University of Illinois Chicago. Tipoff from the Curb Event Center is slated for 2 p.m.
 
The New Year's Day matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Dr. Rich Tiner (play-by-play) and former Belmont forward Ellie Harmeyer (analyst) calling the game. Michelle Knezovic of ESPN 102.5 The Game will be reporting from the sideline. The conference game can also be heard on Belmont All-Access via BelmontBruins.com. Live in-game statistics will be available at BelmontBruins.com as well.
 
What's Bruin

• The Bruins close out the first of two three-game homestands this season looking to begin MVC play 2-0 in their first year in the league.
• Belmont has began conference play 2-0 five times in the last 10 years and nine times total in its NCAA era.
• Claiming a 71-57 road victory at Eastern Illinois to begin 2022, the Bruins have won each of their last two New Year's Day games. Belmont started 2015 with a 62-39 New Year's Day rout of Southeast Missouri.
• Since 2012-13, the Bruins have compiled a remarkable 141-29 (.829) record in league play and won 11 combined championships, including regular season and tournament titles.
• Head coach Bart Brooks is an astounding 81-9 (.900) in conference play over his six seasons guiding Belmont.
• The Bruins picked up their first-ever MVC win Friday evening with a 14-point, 74-60 triumph over Valparaiso at the Curb. For the first time this season, Belmont has won back-to-back games.
• Behind 32 points off the bench and 20 points off 22 forced turnovers, the Bruins imposed their will against the Beacons. Belmont scored a season-high 44 points in the first half and led by as much as 23 late. Scoring 34 points in the paint, the Bruins led for over 37 minutes of the game and got major contributions from junior forward Madison Bartley, junior guard Destinee Wells, sophomores Kilyn McGuff and Tessa Miller, and freshman guard Brooke Highmark. Bartley scored a game-high 20 points on 9-for-14 shooting and grabbed five rebounds, while Wells finished with 19 points and a game-best six assists. Guard McGuff scored 11, picked up six boards and distributed a pair of assists and Miller totaled eight points while also earning six rebounds. Highmark played a career-high 22 minutes, dishing out a career-best three assists and making two tough baskets following the whistle. Belmont began the game 4-for-4 from beyond the arc and shot 60 percent in the first quarter as Bartley accounted for 14 of the Bruins' first 22 points. Holding a plus-nine advantage on the glass (35-26), Belmont overcame 11 made threes by Valparaiso and sealed the win with a 12-4 run over the first 7:39 of the fourth quarter. Bartley's performance was her second 20-point game of the season.
• Graduate guard Sydni Harvey garnered MVC Player and Newcomer of the Week accolades Tuesday for her sensational shooting display and 33-point outing in the Bruins' thrilling 98-87 overtime victory over Troy before the Christmas break. She recorded the first 30-point game by a Belmont player since March 6, 2021, when Wells scored 32 in the 2021 OVC Tournament championship game versus UT Martin. Harvey's program record 10 three-pointers were the second-most ever by a MVC player in a game and she became the first NCAA Division I women's basketball player to hit 10 threes in a contest this season. Her 10th trey 78 seconds into overtime put the Bruins up 87-82 as she tied the Curb record for made triples in a game. Harvey also became the first Valley player to make 10 threes in a contest since Drake's Kyndal Clark did so versus Loyola Chicago on Jan. 24, 2014. Prior to Harvey's 10-for-12 shooting from outside, the last Division I women's player to make 10 three-pointers on 12 or fewer attempts was Marshall's Taylor Porter, who also went 10-for-12 from deep on March 7, 2019, against Florida International University. The Nashville, Tennessee (Brentwood Academy), native went 3-for-4 at the free-throw line and added a pair of rebounds in the home win over the Trojans. Harvey's 44.9 three-point percentage and 31 made treys on the season are both second-best in the MVC.
• With 21 boards against Troy, Miller registered Belmont's first 20-rebound performance since Ellie Harmeyer notched 20 versus the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Nov. 6, 2019. Her 21 rebounds were just three off the single-game program record of 24.
• Along with 24 points and a season-high nine assists, Wells added a trio of rebounds and a pair of steals in the Bruins' non-conference finale win over the Trojans. She became the first MVC player since 2016 to total 24 points, nine assists and two steals in a game. The Lakeland, Tennessee (Houston HS), native also became the first MVC player since 2012 to tally 24 points, nine assists and two steals while making two or more three-pointers (2-of-5). Wells' 24-point, nine-assist, two-steal performance was only the ninth in the nation this season – three of the first eight such outings were accomplished by Iowa's Caitlin Clark, the reigning Big Ten Conference Player of the Year.
• Despite its 5-7 record, Belmont owns a top 100 NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ranking of No. 91, which is the fourth-highest of any MVC team. UIC enters 2023 with a NET ranking of No. 153, which is seventh-best in the 12-team conference.
• The Bruins' non-conference strength of schedule is currently ranked as the 15th-most difficult in the nation. Furthermore, Belmont's average opponent NET ranking (No. 97) is the ninth-highest in the country.
• The Bruins have already faced a trio of teams ranked in the top 25 of the NET – No. 17 Iowa (Nov. 20), No. 19 Villanova (Nov. 25) and No. 23 Middle Tennessee (Nov. 16). In fact, seven of Belmont's first 10 games were against top-65 NET teams, including the Bruins' final non-conference trip to No. 48 Georgia (Dec. 17), back-to-back matchups against No. 62 Georgia Tech (Nov. 27 and Dec. 4), and a home date with No. 33 Louisville (Nov. 13).
• Seven of Belmont's 10 non-conference opponents this season won over 20 games last year and earned a national postseason tournament bid.
• A total of 12 opponents on the Bruins' schedule reached a national postseason tournament last March, including seven who earned a NCAA Tournament berth, and 11 won at least 20 games last season.
• With a challenging four-game stretch from Nov. 13-25, Belmont has taken on three nationally-ranked teams. Louisville was ranked seventh in the nation when the Cardinals visited Nashville on Nov. 13 and the Bruins traveled to now receiving-votes Middle Tennessee just three days later before heading to fourth-ranked Iowa on Nov. 20. On Friday, Nov. 25 in Estero, Florida, at the Gulf Coast Showcase, Belmont battled then 23rd-ranked Villanova in a high-scoring 83-80 setback.
• Since the start of the 2012-13 season, the Bruins are 105-24 (.814) inside the Curb. Coach Brooks has led Belmont to a remarkable 57-10 (.851) record at home since taking over the reins of the program in April of 2017.
• Sunday afternoon will be the first-ever meeting between the Bruins and the Flames.
• Four different Belmont players have posted multiple 20-point performances this season with Wells leading the way (5), followed by McGuff, Harvey and Bartley with two 20-point games apiece.
• Wells has been held under double figures in consecutive games just once in her impressive career, finishing with nine points at then top-five ranked Iowa on Nov. 20 after scoring five at now receiving-votes Middle Tennessee on Nov. 16.
• Following the first week of the season, Wells was tabbed MVC Player of the Week after a pair of 20-point home showings against Chattanooga and top-10 ranked Louisville. Wells scored 26 of her 40 points on the week in the fourth quarter, grabbed a career-high tying seven rebounds against the Mocs, and put the Bruins in front of the nationally-ranked Cardinals with only 2:17 remaining. The Lakeland, Tennessee (Houston HS), native became Belmont's 33rd 1,000-point scorer in the tightly-contested matchup with seventh-ranked Louisville and was named to the 2022-23 John R. Wooden Award^® presented by Wendy's^® Preseason Top 50 Watch List after the opening week of the season. One of only four mid-major players to appear on the prestigious watch list, Wells has scored 1,157 points and registered 312 assists in only 68 career games. She has reached double-figure scoring in all but five of her last 57 games and 60 of 68 career outings. Wells owns 25 20-point games and was tabbed MVC Preseason Player of the Year in the Bruins' first year in the league.
• Between Harvey, who scored 1,142 points at South Florida and has accounted for 1,281 career points, and Wells, Belmont has two career 1,000-point scorers.
• The Bruins received seven votes in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 and eight votes in the USA Today Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches Poll following week one of the regular season. Belmont received 14 votes in the preseason AP Top 25 and nine votes in the preseason USA Today Sports/WBCA Coaches Poll.
• One of the premier mid-major programs in the country, the Bruins began the season ranked No. 6 in the nation in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25^®.
• Entering its first season in the MVC, Belmont was picked to win the conference after a vote of the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media members. The Bruins received 32 of 44 possible first-place votes in the preseason predicted order of finish.
• Ranked 25th in Sports Illustrated's 2022-23 basketball preview edition, Belmont has either been ranked or received votes in at least one of the two major national polls for eight-straight seasons.
• The Bruins are the only non-power conference program to reach the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 each of the last two seasons.
• Belmont has earned a national postseason bid nine of the last 10 years and reached each of the last six NCAA Tournaments.
• The Bruins are one of just 12 programs in the nation and one of only three non-power conference teams (Florida Gulf Coast and South Dakota State) to win 20 or more games for seven-straight seasons.
• Belmont owns the 17th-most victories in NCAA Division I women's basketball history (1,039).
• Belmont is the only school in the nation to win 20 or more games for seven consecutive seasons in both men's and women's basketball.
• In 2021-22, Belmont and BYU were the only two schools in the country who received votes in top-25 coaches polls in men's and women's basketball and baseball during their respective regular seasons.
• In his sixth season at the helm, coach Brooks has guided the Bruins to an impressive 128-41 (.757) record and eight combined conference championships, including regular season and tournament titles.

About the Flames

• Led by first-year head coach Ashleen Bracey, a former All-MVC First Team forward at Illinois State, UIC is off to a strong 8-4 start.
• The Flames dropped their MVC opener Friday evening at Murry State, 68-55, and have lost three straight dating back to Dec. 14. Three of UIC's four losses have come away from Chicago and the Flames are 3-2 in true road games.
• With strong defensive play UIC has held seven of its first 12 opponents under 60 points. The Flames lead the league and rank 57th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 57.2 points per game.
• UIC was picked to finish last in the MVC according to the preseason predicted order of finish after going 2-25 last year and earning only one conference win (1-20). The Flames ended their 2021-22 season on a 20-game losing streak.
• Like Belmont, UIC is in its first season in the MVC after spending over 25 years in the Horizon League.
• Josie Filer, a 6-foot-1 graduate transfer forward from Omaha, is averaging a team-best 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest. Both 6-foot-2 small forward Ky Dempsey-Toney (10.3 PPG) and 6-foot-3 guard/forward Jaida McCloud (10.1 PPG) are also averaging double-figure scoring, while 5-foot-5 guard Kristian Young leads the Flames in assists (4.2 APG). McCloud was an All-Horizon League Second Team selection last season.

Up Next
The Bruins embark on their first MVC road trip next weekend, traveling to Iowa where they will face Drake next Friday and take on Northern Iowa next Sunday.
 
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.
 
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