CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Closing out a four-game road stretch with a key Missouri Valley Conference victory, the Belmont University women's basketball team defeated Northern Iowa 72-67 Sunday afternoon inside the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Improving to 6-1 in MVC play, the Bruins (13-5) controlled the game from a minute in forward and made winning plays down the stretch.
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Behind a trio of double-figure scorers, junior forward
Kendal Cheesman's second career double-double and nearly a double-double from fellow junior forward
Tessa Miller, Belmont led for all but 1:42 of the contest.
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The Bruins held the host Panthers (5-10, 4-2 MVC) to 39.4 percent (26-of-66) shooting, including 6-for-22 (27.3 percent) from behind the arc, and committed only eight turnovers. Scoring 16 points off nine offensive boards, Belmont doled out seven blocks.
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Cheesman posted a game-best 19 points and 10 rebounds while dealing out a career-high four blocks and distributing a trio of assists. Junior guard
Kilyn McGuff went 5-for-8 from the field and 3-for-6 from outside for 16 points and also snagged seven boards. Freshman standout guard
Jailyn Banks poured in 13 points, dished out a career-high tying six assists and collected six rebounds. Miller finished with nine points on 4-for-6 shooting, nine boards, two assists, a block and a steal.
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Despite being outworked on the glass, 40-37, and outscored 30-26 in the paint, the Bruins made timely shots to earn their second-ever win in the state of Iowa.
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Belmont connected on nine three-pointers and went 11-for-15 at the free-throw line after earning just four foul shots Friday evening at Drake.
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The Bruins started 5-for-10 from distance and led 21-15 before Northern Iowa ended the opening quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 22-21 lead heading into the second stanza.
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Miller opened Belmont's scoring with only her fifth career three giving the Bruins a 3-2 lead a minute in. Three-pointers from McGuff, Cheesman and sophomore guard
Emily La Chapell put Belmont up 17-11 after just over five minutes of action.
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Cheesman had eight of the Bruins' first 17 points.
A McGuff layup gave Belmont its 21-15 lead, but the Bruins would be held scoreless for the closing 2:22 of the first quarter.
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The Panthers hit 10 of their opening 17 shots (58.8 percent) as starting guard Emerson Green scored nine first-quarter points.
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Belmont began the second quarter on a 6-0 run and took a five-point lead at 27-22 three minutes into the period on a Miller basket. McGuff drilled another triple at the six-minute mark of the quarter to make it a six-point game once more for the Bruins at 30-24. Banks jab-stepped and knocked down a wing three-pointer to keep Belmont in front by six with three minutes to go before the half and the Bruins took a five-point, 36-31 lead into the break.
Belmont limited Northern Iowa to 26.7 percent (4-of-15) shooting in the second quarter and the Bruins assisted on nine of their 14 first-half field goals.
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The Panthers got within two twice early in the second half before Belmont went on a 7-0 scoring run ignited by back-to-back Cheesman buckets. A pair of Cheesman free throws gave the Bruins their largest lead of the day at 47-38 just past the midway point of the third quarter.
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Cheesman would splash in her third trey to make it a nine-point affair once more at 52-43 with two-and-a-half minutes left in the third. Northern Iowa cut the deficit to five twice in the last 90 seconds of the quarter, but Belmont led 56-49 going into the final 10 minutes. A Cheesman putback at the third-quarter buzzer was waived off.
The Bruins shot a blistering 70 percent (7-for-10) in the third quarter and were 5-for-6 at the charity stripe.
A jumper from redshirt junior guard
Tuti Jones kept Belmont in front by seven a minute into the fourth before Panthers' star forward Grace Boffeli scored four consecutive points to get Northern Iowa within three at 58-55 with five minutes to go. McGuff responded with her third three-pointer of the afternoon, extending the Bruins' lead back out to six with four minutes left.
Once more, Boffeli cut the advantage to three at 63-60 with a conventional three-point play at the 3:17 mark. A Jones jumper made it a five-point game with under three minutes to go, before Banks pushed the lead to 68-62 with only two minutes remaining. Following a Cheesman tap-out on the offensive glass, Banks collected the ball and drove to the rim where she made a tough layup through contact and converted her foul shot.
However, the Panthers would be far from done as starting guard Kayba Laube scored Northern Iowa's next five points, including hitting a three that trimmed Belmont's lead to 69-67 with 21 seconds left. McGuff calmly knocked down two free throws on the Bruins' ensuing possession and the Panthers came up empty on both their shot attempts in the final 10 seconds. Banks grabbed the last defensive rebound and went 1-for-2 at the line with just four ticks to go.
Both teams went 5-for-15 from the floor in the fourth. Belmont shot 48 percent (12-of-25) in the second half and was 10-for-13 at the free-throw line. Cheesman scored 11 of her game-high 19 in the second half as Northern Iowa's Boffeli tallied 13 of her team-high 15 points across the second 20 minutes of play.
Boffeli also added 10 rebounds and Panther starting point guard Maya McDermott scored 14 and recorded three assists. Northern Iowa also got 12 points, eight boards and three steals from Green.
Of Note
- The Bruins and head coach Bart Brooks improve to 4-0 versus the Panthers.
- The win is Belmont's fifth true road victory of the season.
- Cheesman has scored in double figures in five-straight games for the first time in her career. She is averaging 14.8 points in her last five outings.
- McGuff has reached double figures in all four of the Bruins' wins against Northern Iowa, averaging 15.3 points.
Up Next
Belmont returns to Nashville next weekend, hosting Missouri State Friday night before welcoming Southern Illinois next Sunday. Tipoff between the Bruins and the Lady Bears Friday is set for 6:30 p.m. from the Curb Event Center. The primetime matchup will be broadcast on
ESPN+.
How to Follow
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