Belmont Begins Hoosier State Trip at Indiana State Friday

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Following its largest margin of victory against a NCAA Division I opponent last Sunday, the Belmont University women's basketball team returns to game action Friday evening at Indiana State. Tipoff from the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Indiana, is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET.
 
The Missouri Valley Conference road tilt will be broadcast on ESPN3 with Brendan King (play-by-play) and Adrian Gonzalez (analyst) serving as talent. Dr. Rich Tiner will have the call of the action on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeart Radio. Live in-game statistics will be available at BelmontBruins.com.
 
What's Bruin

• The Bruins (9-10, 5-3 MVC) are seeking their first three-game win streak in league play after going 2-0 at the Curb Event Center last weekend with wins over Missouri State and Southern Illinois.
• Last Sunday afternoon, Belmont routed the visiting Salukis 101-45. The 56-point win was the Bruins' first 50-point victory since January of last year when Belmont trounced Morehead State 103-50 on the road. It was the second-largest margin of victory for the Bruins under head coach Bart Brooks – Belmont defeated Division II Trevecca Nazarene by 58 (97-39) on Nov. 28, 2017.
• After beginning MVC play 2-0, the Bruins lost three of four before getting back to their winning ways last weekend.
• The Sycamores (8-9, 3-5 MVC) are Belmont's first opponent since Jan. 1 who didn't earn a national postseason berth last season.
• Thirteen of the Bruins' first 18 opponents won no fewer than 19 games a year ago and reached a national postseason tournament.
• Since 2012-13, Belmont has compiled a remarkable 145-32 (.819) record in league play and won 11 combined championships, including regular season and tournament titles.
• Coach Brooks is an astounding 85-12 (.876) in conference action over his six seasons guiding the Bruins.
• Last Sunday's win against Southern Illinois was coach Brooks' 60th triumph at Curb. He is 60-11 (.845) at home since taking over the reins of the program in April of 2017.
• Behind four double-figure scorers, an impressive offensive display, outstanding defense and a superb start, Belmont cruised past the Salukis. The Bruins led 17-4 after the first quarter and never looked back, building a 48-17 lead by halftime before scoring 53 points in the second half. Belmont recorded season highs in rebounds (52), assists (24) and made field goals (35) while limiting Southern Illinois to only 13 field goals on 22 percent shooting. Owning a season-best plus-19 margin on the glass, the Bruins outworked the Salukis 40-18 in the paint. Junior forward Madison Bartley registered her second consecutive 20-point game with a game-high 22 points on 9-for-10 shooting and collected four rebounds in just 16 minutes of action. Junior guard Destinee Wells totaled 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting and dished out a game-best seven assists. Sophomore forward Tessa Miller delivered the stat line of the day, holding a plus/minus of 40 by scoring 15 points, grabbing eight boards, making a block, and tying her career high in both assists (5) and steals (3). Fellow sophomore Kilyn McGuff provided 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Sophomore forward Kendal Cheesman nearly posted her first double-double, pulling down a career-high 14 boards to go along with an assist, a steal and a block.
• After averaging 24 points and six rebounds in 23.7 minutes across Belmont's two wins last weekend, Bartley was named both MVC and Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Week. She shot 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field and went 11-for-12 (.917) at the free-throw line in the two games. In the Bruins' 75-66 win against the Lady Bears Friday night, Bartley scored 14 of her season-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. Going 8-for-8 at the foul line and grabbing a team-high eight boards, Bartley scored eight-straight points in the closing minutes to seal the victory. On Sunday, Bartley was ultra-efficient against Southern Illinois. In only 15:49 on the court, Bartley scored 22 points on 9-for-10 shooting and secured four rebounds.
• Last Wednesday, Wells was named to the midseason watch list for the 2023 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats. One of only 15 players nationally in contention for the player of the year award, Wells has reached double-figure scoring in all but four games. Through 19 games, Wells is averaging 16.4 points, 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds per contest. She ranks third in the MVC in both scoring and assists as the only player in the league averaging over 16 points and four assists.
• Despite its 9-10 record, Belmont is ranked in the top 100 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings at No. 97 as the fourth-highest ranked MVC team. Southern Illinois enters the weekend with the fourth-lowest NET ranking in the 12-team conference, sitting at 222nd.
• The Bruins' non-conference strength of schedule is ranked as the 17th-most difficult in the nation. Furthermore, Belmont's average opponent NET ranking (No. 108) is the 28th-highest in the country.
• The Bruins have faced a trio of teams ranked in the top 20 of the NET – No. 9 Iowa (Nov. 20), No. 16 Villanova (Nov. 25) and No. 18 Middle Tennessee (Nov. 16). In fact, Belmont has taken on nine teams ranked in the top 90 of the NET, including No. 33 Louisville (Nov. 13), No. 50 Drake (Jan. 6), No. 54 Georgia (Dec. 17), No. 61 Northern Iowa (Jan. 8), No. 77 Georgia Tech (Nov. 27 and Dec. 4) and No. 88 Illinois State (Jan. 15).
• Seven of the Bruins' 10 non-conference opponents this season won over 20 games last year and earned a national postseason tournament bid.
• A total of 13 opponents on Belmont's schedule reached a national postseason tournament last March, including seven who made the NCAA Tournament, and 12 won at least 20 games last season.
• With a challenging four-game stretch from Nov. 13-25, the Bruins have taken on three nationally-ranked teams. Louisville was ranked seventh in the nation when the Cardinals visited Nashville on Nov. 13 and Belmont 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, the Bruins battled then 23rd-ranked Villanova in a high-scoring 83-80 setback.
• Friday will be the sixth all-time meeting between Belmont and Indiana State with the Bruins holding a 3-2 advantage in the series. However, the two teams haven't played each other since the 2012-13 season, the Bruins' first year in the Ohio Valley Conference.
• The Sycamores handed Belmont a 48-34 loss in the Bruins' last trip to Terre Haute on Nov. 25, 2012. The season prior, Belmont defeated Indiana State 69-59 in Nashville.
• The two programs met a trio of time in the 1970's with the Bruins winning the first two matchups.
• Recording her second career double-double on Jan. 1 in the 72-59 home win over the University of Illinois Chicago with 18 points and 10 rebounds, both of Bartley's double-doubles have been achieved on New Year's Day. She began 2022 with 21 points and 14 rebounds in a road victory at Eastern Illinois.
• Graduate guard Sydni Harvey garnered MVC Player and Newcomer of the Week accolades following Christmas weekend for her sensational shooting display and 33-point outing in Belmont's thrilling 98-87 overtime victory over Troy on Dec. 20. She recorded the first 30-point game by a Bruin 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 Belmont 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 41.4 three-point percentage and 41 made treys on the season are both among MVC leaders.
• With 21 boards against Troy, Miller registered the Bruins' 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 Belmont's 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. With her 25-point output against UIC, Wells became the third Bruin since 2009-10 to score 25-plus points in 10 or more career games, joining Kylee Smith (12) and Ellie Harmeyer (11).
• Four different Belmont players have posted multiple 20-point performances this season with Wells leading the way (8), followed by Bartley (4), and Harvey and McGuff 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 No. 4 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 star guard 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 1,275 points and registered 343 assists in only 75 career games. She has reached double-figure scoring in all but six of her last 64 games and 66 total career outings. Wells owns 28 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 1,328 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 (1,043).
• 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 132-44 (.750) record and eight combined conference championships, including regular season and tournament titles.

About the Sycamores

• Led by second-year head coach Chad Killinger, the Sycamores are coming off a 71-60 road win at Bradley this past Sunday.
• Indiana State is returning to the Hulman Center after playing five of its last six games on the road. Despite holding a 5-5 record at home, the Sycamores are 0-3 in MVC play at the Hulman Center this season with losses to Missouri State (71-62), Southern Illinois (60-58) and Drake (86-65).
• In addition to its win over the Braves, Indiana State owns conference road victories at UIC (59-48) and Valparaiso (66-58).
• The Sycamores and Belmont played one common opponent during the non-conference portion of the season with Indiana State picking up a 64-62 home win over Saint Louis (Nov. 7) to begin 2022-23. The Bruins defeated the Billikens 78-68 on a neutral floor at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Florida on Nov. 26.
• After going 5-13 in the league and 11-20 overall last season, the Sycamores were picked to finish eighth in the MVC according to the preseason predicted order of finish. Indiana State placed eighth in the then 10-team conference a year ago.
• Senior 5-foot-8 guard Del'Janae Williams, an All-MVC honorable mention and MVC All-Defensive Team selection last season, leads the Sycamores in scoring (13.1 PPG).
• Senior 6-foot forward Chelsea Cain is also averaging double-figure scoring (11.8 PPG) while leading the team on the glass (5.1 RPG).
• Indiana State's top distributor, senior 5-foot-7 guard Anna McKendree, is averaging 3.6 assists and 9.9 points per game.

Up Next
Belmont closes out its weekend stay in the Hoosier State Sunday at Evansville. Tipoff from Meeks Family Fieldhouse is slated for 1 p.m. with the MVC road matchup broadcast on ESPN+. Next Thursday, the Bruins host Murray State in the Music City.
 
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