Bruins Host Northern Iowa Thursday in Battle of League Leaders

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a battle of Missouri Valley Conference leaders, the Belmont University women's basketball team hosts Northern Iowa Thursday evening in the Music City. Tipoff from the Curb Event Center is slated for 6:30 p.m.
 
Presented by Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant, Thursday's game is a blue out with the home team donning their signature blue uniforms.
 
The pivotal MVC matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Dr. Rich Tiner (play-by-play) and former Bruin guard Hannah Harmeyer (analyst) calling the game. Hanley Riggs will be reporting from the sideline. The league tilt can also be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeart Radio. Live in-game statistics will be available at BelmontBruins.com.
 
Every free throw Belmont makes throughout the month of February benefits the Kay Yow Cancer Fund through the Play4Kay Free Throw Challenge. To learn more about Play4Kay and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, visit KayYow.com. To make a pledge on the Bruins' free throws during the month or to donate, visit Belmont's Play4Kay page. All proceeds benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
 
What's Bruin

• Both Belmont (17-10) and the Panthers (18-7) are in a three-way tie for first place in the conference standings with Illinois State (19-7). With four games remaining in the regular season, all three squads have gone 13-3 in MVC play.
• On a league-best 10-game winning streak, the Bruins secured their fifth consecutive undefeated week last Sunday with a crucial 68-58 road victory at Missouri State.
• After starting the season 3-7, Belmont has won 14 of its last 17 games.
• The Bruins' average margin of victory during their 10-game win streak is 19.4 points.
• Returning to the Curb, Belmont is tied with Drake with an MVC-best 7-1 record at home in conference play this season.
• The Bruins have not lost a game in over a month – Belmont's last setback came in Nashville on Jan. 15 against Illinois State (70-56).
• Junior guard Destinee Wells has scored in double figures for 11-straight games, while junior forward Madison Bartley has reached double figures in 10 of her last 11 outings.
• 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 153-32 (.827) record in league play and won 11 combined championships, including regular season and tournament titles.
• Head coach Bart Brooks is an astounding 93-12 (.886) in conference action over his six seasons guiding the Bruins.
• Big-time baskets from sophomore guard Kilyn McGuff and experienced play down the stretch propelled Belmont past the host Lady Bears last Sunday at Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield, Missouri. The Bruins limited Missouri State to 29 percent shooting and snapped the Lady Bears' eight-game win streak. Overcoming late-game foul trouble, Belmont had two key possessions deep in the fourth quarter that essentially put the game away. A layup by Bartley and a remarkable three-pointer by Wells gave the Bruins an eight-point lead with just over two minutes remaining after Missouri State clawed within three at 57-54. Belmont sealed the triumph with six made free throws in the closing minute and ended the contest on an 11-4 run in the final three-and-a-half minutes of play. Wells led the Bruins with 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting and dished out a game-high five assists. McGuff registered 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting, while Bartley posted 14 points and four rebounds. Sophomore forward Kendal Cheesman hit a trio of threes and scored 10 of Belmont's 13 bench points while snagging a team-high eight boards.
• The Bruins are 111-25 (.816) inside the Curb since the start of the 2012-13 season. Coach Brooks has led Belmont to an outstanding 63-11 (.851) record at home since taking over the reins of the program in April of 2017.
• In conference play, the Bruins have been even more dominant at home going 81-11 (.880) since 2012. In his six seasons, coach Brooks has lost only five league games at the Curb with a 47-5 (.904) record.
• In February and March Belmont has been at its best. The Bruins are a stunning 83-11 (.883) in the two key months since 2016 and coach Brooks has led Belmont to a 63-8 (.887) record in February and March since his arrival in Nashville.
• Thursday night will be only the second meeting between the Bruins and Northern Iowa. Belmont claimed its first-ever MVC road win at Northern Iowa on Jan. 8, defeating the host Panthers 67-61.
• Late-game baskets from Wells, graduate guard Sydni Harvey and McGuff finished a gritty performance at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa, in the Bruins' first road trip of 2023. Inspired defensive play by Belmont gave Northern Iowa its first MVC loss of the season as the Bruins held the Panthers to 31 percent shooting. Wells drained a deep two with just under two minutes remaining to even the score at 61 apiece and following a Northern Iowa turnover, Harvey nailed a triple to put Belmont in front for good. McGuff capped the victory with an and-one bucket in the final 25 seconds. The Bruins forced a pair of Panther turnovers and Wells came up with a huge block on a three-point closeout in the final two minutes after Belmont knotted the game at 61. The last three defensive sequences highlighted the Bruins' effort in the game. Both McGuff and Bartley finished with 14 points and Wells scored 12 to go along with six rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals. Senior guard Nikki Baird added seven points and tied her career high with eight boards.
• Following her career-high 35-point afternoon in the 81-69 home win over Indiana State on Feb. 12, Wells was tabbed MVC Player of the Week for a second time. She scored 18 in the first half, including 11 in the opening quarter alone, and added 17 points in the second half versus the Sycamores. In Belmont's 40-point, 93-53 home rout of Evansville on Feb. 10, Wells nearly posted a double-double while committing only one turnover with 11 points and a season-high tying nine assists. Shooting 52.8 percent (19-of-36) from the field, Wells averaged 23 points and seven assists for the week. Her career-best performance against Indiana State was Wells' second 30-point outing of her career after scoring 32 in the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title game versus UT Martin. The Lakeland, Tennessee (Houston HS), native owns 11 career 25-point games and has reached 20 points on nine occasions this season. Wells was also named MVC Player of the Week on Nov. 14 after the first week of the season. She has garnered conference player of the week honors four times in her career, including being selected as OVC Player of the Week twice last season.
• The Bruins' five MVC Player of the Week awards this season are the most of any team in the conference. Bartley was chosen as MVC Player of the Week twice on Feb. 6 and Jan. 23, while graduate guard Sydni Harvey earned both MVC Player and Newcomer of the Week laurels on Dec. 27 following her historic three-point shooting display in Belmont's overtime win versus Troy.
• For the second time in three weeks Bartley was named both MVC and Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Week on Feb. 6 after leading all scorers in both of the Bruins' victories over Murray State and Bradley. She averaged 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 51.4 percent (18-of-35) from the field across the two wins. Of Bartley's 17 rebounds on the week, 10 were earned on the offensive glass. Her 26-point performance against the Purple Aces on Feb. 10 was Bartley's seventh 20-point showing of the season. The Kettering, Ohio (Kettering Fairmont HS), native is averaging 18.7 points and 5.4 rebounds since being re-inserted into Belmont's starting lineup on Jan. 20 versus Missouri State. Garnering conference player of the week honors three times throughout her career, Bartley picked up OVC Player of the Week recognition last January.
• On Jan. 18, 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 27 games, Wells is averaging 17.1 points, 4.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds per contest. She ranks third in the MVC in scoring and is second in assists as one of only eight players nationally averaging over 17 points, 4.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game.
• Despite their 17-10 record, the Bruins are ranked in the top 85 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings at No. 84 as the third-highest ranked MVC team. Northern Iowa enters the weekend with the second-highest NET ranking in the 12-team conference, sitting inside the top 70 at No. 67.
• Belmont's non-conference strength of schedule is ranked as the 12th-most difficult in the nation. Furthermore, the Bruins' average opponent NET ranking (No. 140) is tied for 82nd-highest in the country.
• Belmont has faced four teams ranked in the top 30 of the NET – No. 8 Iowa (Nov. 20), No. 11 Villanova (Nov. 25), No. 29 Louisville (Nov. 13) and No. 30 Middle Tennessee (Nov. 16). In fact, the Bruins have taken on eight teams ranked in the top 75 of the NET, including No. 37 Georgia (Dec. 17), No. 58 Drake (Jan. 6), No. 67 Northern Iowa (Jan. 8) and No. 73 Georgia Tech (Nov. 27 and Dec. 4).
• Seven of Belmont's 10 non-conference opponents won over 20 games last year and earned a national postseason tournament bid.
• A total of 13 opponents on the Bruins' schedule reached a national postseason tournament last March, including seven who made the NCAA Tournament, and 12 won at least 20 games last season. The Panthers are one of such opponents. Northern Iowa went 23-11 in 2021-22 and reached the second round of the WNIT.
• 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 25th-ranked Middle Tennessee just three days later before heading to then 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.
• Harvey garnered MVC Player and Newcomer of the Week accolades following Christmas weekend for her sensational shooting display and 33-point outing in the Bruins' thrilling 98-87 overtime victory over Troy on Dec. 20. Her 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. Harvey's 10th trey 78 seconds into overtime put Belmont up 87-82 as she tied the Curb record for made triples in a game. She 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 ranks among MVC leaders in made treys with 48 on the season.
• With 21 boards against Troy, sophomore forward Tessa 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. Miller also collected 16 rebounds off the bench in Belmont's 78-68 neutral-site win over Saint Louis in southwest Florida on Nov. 26, the second-most in a single game in the 10-year history of the Gulf Coast Showcase. She owns four double-figure rebounding games this season.
• With her 25-point output against the University of Illinois Chicago on New Year's Day, 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 (9), followed by Bartley (7), and Harvey and McGuff with two 20-point games apiece.
• Wells became the Bruins' 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 following the opening week of the season. One of only four mid-major players to appear on the prestigious watch list, Wells has scored 1,427 points and registered 384 assists in only 83 career games. She has reached double-figure scoring in all but six of her last 72 games and 74 total career outings. Wells owns 29 20-point games and was tabbed MVC Preseason Player of the Year in Belmont's first year in the league.
• Between Harvey, who scored 1,142 points at South Florida and has accounted for 1,366 career points, and Wells, the Bruins have two career 1,000-point scorers.
• Belmont 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. The Bruins 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, Belmont began the season ranked No. 6 in the nation in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25^® and is currently ranked 25th in the mid-major poll.
• Entering their first season in the MVC, the Bruins were picked to win the conference after a vote of the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media members. Belmont 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, the Bruins have either been ranked or received votes in at least one of the two major national polls for eight-straight seasons.
• Belmont is the only non-power conference program to reach the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 each of the last two seasons.
• The Bruins have earned a national postseason bid nine of the last 10 years and reached each of the last six NCAA Tournaments.
• Belmont is 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.
• The Bruins own the 17th-most victories in NCAA Division I women's basketball history (1,051).
• 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 140-44 (.761) record and eight combined conference championships, including regular season and tournament titles.

About the Panthers

• Led by 16th-year head coach Tanya Warren, who has taken the Panthers to all three of their NCAA Tournaments and is the dean of MVC women's basketball coaches, Northern Iowa has won six of its last seven.
• The Panthers had a five-game winning streak snapped by Illinois State last Thursday as the visiting Redbirds made two go-ahead free throws in the last 10 seconds. However, Northern Iowa rebounded at home last Saturday with a 76-50 win over Bradley.
• Like Belmont, the Panthers put together a difficult non-conference schedule with three nationally-ranked opponents – No. 7 Iowa State (Nov. 16), No. 20 Creighton (Nov. 20) and No. 12 Iowa (Dec. 18). Northern Iowa also traveled to receiving-votes South Dakota State on Dec. 3. Those four opponents make up all of the Panthers' non-conference losses. Notably, Northern Iowa came within a possession of knocking off the top-10 ranked Cyclones early in the season and led with just over two minutes to go.
• The Panthers' 74.3 points per game rank 40th nationally, while Northern Iowa's 8.2 made threes per contest rank 26th in the nation.
• Grace Boffeli, a 6-foot-1 sophomore forward who earned All-MVC honorable mention honors last season, is among the top scorers in the league (16.0 PPG) and leads the conference in rebounding (8.7 RPG).
• Maya McDermott, a 5-foot-6 sophomore guard, is averaging 14.7 points and a team-best 3.6 assists per game, while 5-foot-10 sophomore guard Emerson Green is putting up 10.6 points per outing.

Up Next
The Bruins close out the home portion of the regular season Saturday with a senior day matchup versus Drake. Tipoff from the Curb is set for 4 p.m. with the MVC game of the week broadcast on ESPN3. Both Baird and Harvey will be honored pregame.

Single game tickets are on sale. Click here to view available seating and purchase your seats.
 
For more information, call 615-460-BALL or visit BelmontBruins.com.
 
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