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Tessa_Miller_atKennesawState2023
Belmont Athletics
65
Winner Belmont BEL 7-3,0-0 MVC
54
Kennesaw St. KennSt 3-6,0-0 ASUN
Winner
Belmont BEL
7-3,0-0 MVC
65
Final
54
Kennesaw St. KennSt
3-6,0-0 ASUN
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Belmont BEL 15 20 16 14 65
Kennesaw St. KennSt 14 9 19 12 54

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Bruins Win Fifth Straight, Pick Up 65-54 Victory at Kennesaw State Sunday

Tessa Miller and Carmyn Harrison Record Career Highs

KENNESAW, Ga. – After an 11-day break from game action, the Belmont University women's basketball team returned Sunday afternoon and picked up its fifth consecutive victory with a 65-54 win at Kennesaw State. Improving to 7-3, the Bruins used a strong second quarter of play to collect their third win away from the Music City this season.
 
Behind career-high scoring performances from junior forwards Tessa Miller (19) and Carmyn Harrison (8), Belmont overcame a 36-30 deficit on the glass.
 
In a game that saw 34 combined turnovers, the host Owls (3-6) outscored the Bruins 38-32 in the paint and got 12 points from 15 offensive boards. Belmont scored 20 points off 19 Kennesaw State turnovers.
 
A 16-0 Bruin scoring run in the second quarter completely shifted the momentum of the game after the Owls held a slim margin multiple times in the opening quarter.
 
Baskets from junior guard Kilyn McGuff, Miller and junior forward Kendal Cheesman put Belmont in front 9-4 midway through the first quarter before Kennesaw State returned the favor. The two teams exchanged buckets before the Owls' Carly Hooks put the home team back on top 14-13 with just under 30 seconds to go in the first stanza.
 
A layup from McGuff before the end of the first quarter ignited an 11-2 Bruin run that gave Belmont an eight-point, 24-16 lead four minutes into the second quarter.
 
Hooks had eight of Kennesaw State's 14 first-quarter points.
 
Miller began the second quarter with a layup before the Owls' Keyarah Berry made a floater to keep Kennesaw State within a point at 17-16. From there, Cheesman knocked down a triple to ignite Belmont's 16-0 run. The Bruins' lengthy run would be extended to 20-2 as Belmont took a 17-point advantage.
 
A deep three-pointer from McGuff put the Bruins up 33-16 with just under three minutes to go in the half. The Owls scored seven-straight points to get within 10, but Harrison closed the half with a layup to make it 35-23 at the break.
 
Outscoring Kennesaw State 20-9 in the second quarter, Belmont shot 53.8 percent (7-of-13) and got seven points from McGuff. The Bruins held the Owls to 34.4 percent (11-of-32) shooting in the first half as McGuff scored all 13 of her points in the first 20 minutes going 5-for-8 from the field.
 
Kennesaw State outscored Belmont 11-4 across the first four minutes of the second half, climbing within five at 39-34 on a layup from Trynce Taylor. With the Bruins leading by only five once more at 41-36, redshirt junior guard Tuti Jones connected on a corner three-pointer to spark a 10-4 Belmont run. Senior guard Blair Schoenwald splashed in a three to give the Bruins a 51-40 lead, but the Owls got a layup from starting forward Prencis Harden in the closing seconds of the third quarter. Belmont led 51-42 heading into the final quarter of action.
 
Outscoring the Bruins 19-16, Kennesaw State went 8-for-11 (72.7 percent) from the floor in the third quarter.
 
Miller's conventional three-point play was Belmont's only points in the first four-and-a-half minutes of the fourth quarter as the Owls' Morgan Dillard made it a six-point affair at 54-48 with a layup and a jumper. However, Kennesaw State would get no closer for the remainder of the afternoon. Cheesman hit another trey to make it 57-48 with 5:19 remaining. A deep jumper by freshman standout guard Jailyn Banks and a driving baseline layup by Harrison completed a 7-0 Bruin run to give Belmont a commanding 61-48 lead with 3:11 left. A pair of Miller free throws and another Harrison layup sealed the win in the final two minutes.
 
The Owls outscored the Bruins 31-30 in the second half behind 48.3 percent (14-of-29) shooting and a 22-10 advantage in the paint.
 
Miller scored 11 of her 19 points in the second half and finished a perfect 9-for-9 at the free-throw line. Belmont didn't miss a free throw in the game with McGuff going 2-for-2 at the charity stripe.
 
Miller also added nine rebounds, a season-high tying five assists, a block and a steal. Cheesman finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.
 
Harden led Kennesaw State with 17 points on 8-for-14 shooting and a team-best nine boards, while Dillard scored 10 points for the Owls in the second half.
 
Of Note
  • The Bruins improve to 11-4 all-time versus Kennesaw State and 6-2 versus the Owls at the KSU Convocation Center.
  • Belmont has won both of its last two true road games.
  • The Bruins have held their last three opponents under 60 points.
  • Belmont has had at least a five-game winning streak in 12 consecutive seasons going back to 2012-13.
  • Miller has scored in double figures in nine of 10 games this season and has tallied five assists in each of her last two outings.
 
Up Next
The Bruins travel to top-15 ranked Ohio State next Friday to cap their regular season non-conference slate. Belmont will visit McGuff's hometown and take on her father's program. Tipoff from Value City Arena at the Jermone Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, is set for 12 p.m. CT/1 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network+, a subscription is required.
 
How to Follow
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.
 
#ItsBruinTime
 
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