Women's Hoops Returns to the Music City, Hosts Missouri State Friday Night

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Returning to Nashville following a four-game road stretch, the Belmont University women's basketball team hosts Missouri State Friday evening at the Curb Event Center. Tipoff of the primetime Missouri Valley Conference matchup is set for 6:30 p.m.
 
The Valley home game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Dr. Rich Tiner providing play-by-play of the action. Landen Secrest will be reporting from the sideline. The contest can also be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeart Radio. Live in-game statistics will be available at BelmontBruins.com.
 
T-shirts from the BruinShop, the official merchandise partner of Belmont Athletics, will be given away to all fans in attendance.
 
What's Bruin

• The Bruins (13-5, 6-1 MVC) went 3-1 during their four-game road stretch, including going 2-0 in Indiana before splitting games last weekend in Iowa. Belmont was narrowly defeated by defending MVC Tournament champion and current conference leader Drake (69-65) last Friday night, but earned a gritty, 72-67 victory at Northern Iowa this past Sunday afternoon.
• Winners of six of their last seven, the Bruins are 7-1 at home this season.
• Sunday's win against the Panthers was Belmont's fifth true road victory of the season and only the Bruins' second-ever triumph in the state of Iowa.
• Belmont won five in a row to begin Valley play and also won five in order near the end of its non-conference slate. The Bruins have put together at least a five-game winning streak in 12-straight seasons dating back to 2012-13.
• Belmont won consecutive games by over 40 points for the first time since the 2017-18 season with a 44-point drubbing at Evansville (84-40) on Friday, Jan. 12 after defeating Bradley by 42 points (89-47) at home on Saturday, Jan. 6.
• Only three teams – No. 6 Stanford, No. 12 Ohio State and Missouri – have been able to score more than 70 points against the Bruins in 2023-24.
• Belmont has held 11 of its 18 opponents this season under 65 points and kept eight teams under 60 points.
• The Bruins lead the MVC in both scoring (60.7 PPG) and field goal percentage (38.3) defense.
• Head coach Bart Brooks earned his 100th career conference win in only 112 league games on Jan. 6 with Belmont's lopsided victory over the visiting Braves.
• Two of the Bruins' five losses have been against top-15 opponents – then fourth-ranked Stanford and 13th-ranked Ohio State.
• Belmont is ranked No. 12 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25^®.

 
Last Time Out

• Improving to 4-0 versus Northern Iowa, the Bruins controlled the game from a minute in onward and made winning plays down the stretch.
• 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.
• The Bruins doled out seven blocks and held the Panthers to 39.4 percent shooting, including 6-for-22 from behind the arc, while committing only eight turnovers and scoring 16 points off nine offensive boards.
• Despite being outworked on the glass (40-37) and outscored 30-26 in the paint, Belmont made timely shots. Getting just seven points off the bench, the Bruins connected on nine three-pointers and went 11-for-15 at the free-throw line after earning only four foul shots last Friday against the Bulldogs of Drake in Des Moines. Belmont started 5-for-10 from distance.
• Cheesman posted a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds while dealing out a career-best four blocks and distributing a trio of assists.
•  Junior guard Kilyn McGuff went 5-for-8 from the field and 3-for-6 from three-point range for 16 points and also snagged seven boards.
• Freshman 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.

 
Another Challenging Non-Conference

• Once again playing one of the most strenuous non-conference schedules in the nation, the Bruins went 7-4 with their four losses coming against power conference opponents. Three of Belmont's four losses were away from the Music City as the Bruins went 4-1 at the Curb.
• Six of Belmont's 11 non-conference opponents were from power conferences. Five of the Bruins' first six games of the season were against power conference programs.
• Belmont defeated two power conference teams during the non-conference portion of the schedule, routing Southeastern Conference mainstay Georgia 76-50 in the Bruins' home opener on Nov. 10 and toppling the Big Ten Conference's Northwestern 83-61 at the Ball Dawgs Classic in Las Vegas on Nov. 24.
• Belmont owns five victories over power conference teams in four seasons. In addition to the Lady Bulldogs and the Wildcats, the Bruins have earned wins against Oregon, Ole Miss and Auburn in recent years.
• Belmont also came within a point of defeating receiving-votes Mississippi State on Sunday, Nov. 19 inside the Curb. A free-throw line jumper by Banks and a putback attempt from McGuff both rimmed off in the final seconds.

 
Player Notes

• Off to a sensational start to her collegiate career, Banks is the three-time defending MVC Freshman of the Week and has been selected for the conference weekly award five times already (Jan. 23, Jan. 16, Jan. 9, Dec. 11, Nov. 20, Nov. 13). Reaching double figures in 13 of her first 18 games, Banks leads the team in scoring (12.7 PPG). A native of Spring Hill, Tennessee (Middle Tennessee Christian School), Banks tallied 23 points in the season opener at Missouri, the fourth-most by any true freshman this season making her debut.
• Reaching double-figure scoring in five-straight games for the first time in her career, Cheesman is averaging 14.8 points across her last five outings. Among the top three-point shooters in the nation (41.9 percent), Cheesman is shooting 48.9 percent (22-of-45) from beyond the arc at the Curb this season. She pulled down a career-best 14 rebounds versus fourth-ranked Stanford and scored a game-high 21 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including going 4-for-7 from outside, in the convincing win over Northwestern inside The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. In her first career start, the home blowout of Georgia, Cheesman erupted for a career-high 28 points on 9-for-15 three-point shooting and collected nine boards. Her nine three-pointers are tied for the third-most by a NCAA Division I women's basketball player in a game this season and were just one shy of both the single-game program and Curb Event Center record. The Tampa, Florida (H.B. Plant HS), native became the first player since at least 2009-10 to make nine threes and secure nine rebounds against a power conference team. For her performance, Cheesman was selected as Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Week (Nov. 14).
• After her true junior season was cut short due to injury last year, guard Tuti Jones returned for the opener against the Tigers and has distributed at least four assists in 12 of the first 18 games of the season. Averaging a team-best 3.8 assists per game, Jones earned her second career double-double versus the Wildcats in Vegas with 12 points and a career-high 10 assists. Against top-15 ranked Ohio State, Jones racked up a season-high five steals. The Troy, Alabama (Charles Henderson HS), native has totaled 212 career steals, which ranks seventh in program history. In fact, Jones is second in the Bruins' NCAA era in steals as she ranks behind only Tara Montgomery (244). Named to the preseason All-MVC Second Team, Jones was the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and an All-OVC First Team selection as a sophomore in 2021-22.
• Miller has scored in double figures in all but five games this season and has distributed at least three assists in eight games. She led all Belmont scorers against the nationally-ranked Buckeyes with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting after scoring a career-best 19 points in the win at Kennesaw State where she knocked down a career-high nine free throws on nine attempts. In the Bruins' battle with the top-five ranked Cardinal at the Ball Dawgs Classic in the desert, Miller went 9-for-16 from the floor for 18 points after registering her fifth career double-double in Belmont's trouncing of the Lady Bulldogs with 17 points and 11 rebounds. With 481 career rebounds, Miller needs just 19 more to become the first Bruin to record 500 rebounds since Ellie Harmeyer Strutz (2015-20) and Maddie Wright (2016-20).
• Going up against her father's program, McGuff secured a team-high six rebounds at Ohio State. She has scored in double figures on eight occasions this season, including the last two games, and notched two double-doubles. After recording her first career double-double in the win at Troy with 18 points and 10 boards, McGuff scored a season-best 22 points in the home victory over receiving-votes Middle Tennessee. For those two performances, McGuff captured her first MVC Player of the Week award on Dec. 4. In the 77th Battle of the Boulevard versus nearby rival Lipscomb, McGuff had a career-high 14 rebounds to go along with 13 points.
• In just her second game donning the Belmont jersey on Jan. 4, sophomore guard Emily La Chapell scored a career-high 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting versus Illinois State. She has reached double-figure scoring in three of her first seven games as a Bruin. After spending her freshman year at the BIG EAST Conference's Marquette, La Chapell made her Belmont debut in the MVC opener versus the University of Illinois Chicago. In the 64-52 win over the fellow defending MVC regular season champion Cardinals to start the new year, La Chapell had a breakout game as she went 2-for-4 from long range and added a trio of boards and a block.

 
Among the Toughest Schedules in the Nation

• The Lady Bears are the 14th opponent on the Bruins' schedule who had a winning record in 2022-23, the 10th adversary who won 20 or more games last year and the 12th team who made a national postseason tournament last March.
• Belmont's schedule also features six NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago (Georgia, Mississippi State, Stanford, Middle Tennessee, Ohio State, Drake).

 
Nothing but NET

• Seven of the Bruins' 18 opponents thus far are ranked inside the top 100 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), including No. 3 Stanford and No. 13 Ohio State. Belmont is currently 71st in the NET.
• Missouri State enters the weekend with the fifth-highest NET ranking in the Valley, sitting just outside the top 125 at No. 133.

 
Storied Success

• The Bruins won their sixth regular season conference championship in seven seasons last year. Belmont has captured nine regular season conference titles in the Bruins' NCAA era. Including the regular season and league tournament, Belmont has won 16 combined conference championships in three different Division I conferences (MVC, OVC and Atlantic Sun Conference).
• The Bruins are one of only 11 teams in the nation to have won 20 or more games for eight-straight seasons.
• Belmont (11) is one of only three programs to have won more than 10 combined conference championships (regular season and tournament) over the last seven seasons. UConn (14) and Florida Gulf Coast (12) are the other two.
• Belmont is the only school in the nation to win 20-plus games for eight consecutive seasons in both women's and men's basketball.
• The Bruins have either been ranked or received votes in at least one of the two major national polls each of the last eight seasons.
• Belmont has won the 17th-most games in NCAA Division I women's basketball history (1,070).

 
Conference Dominance

• Since the 2012-13 season, the Bruins have compiled a remarkable 163-33 (.832) record in league play and won 12 combined championships, including regular season and tournament titles.
• Coach Brooks is a ridiculous 103-13 (.888) in conference action in seven seasons.
• Altogether, including conference tournaments, Belmont has gone 186-38 (.830) against league opposition over the last 12 seasons.

 
Under Coach Brooks

• In his seventh season at the helm, coach Brooks picked up his 150th win in less than 200 career games with the Bruins' 72-68 victory at Troy on Nov. 29.
• Coach Brooks was named to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats. Since his arrival in Nashville, he has led Belmont to a 159-51 (.757) record, four NCAA Tournaments and back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in 2021 and 2022. The third-fastest head coach to 100 career victories in Division I women's basketball history, Brooks owns an astounding record of 117-15 (.886) against conference opponents, including conference tournament games. He ranks among the top 10 of active Division I head coaches in terms of winning percentage.

 
MVC Preseason Poll

• The Bruins were picked fourth in the MVC but gained one first-place vote in the preseason predicted order of finish after capturing a regular season championship in Belmont's first year in the conference in 2022-23. Going 23-12 overall and 17-3 in the Valley, the Bruins reached their third-straight conference tournament title game and made their 10th national postseason appearance in 11 seasons with an at-large bid to the WNIT.

 
Bruins at Home

• Belmont is 96-13 (.881) at home since the start of the 2015-16 season.
• The Bruins have a home winning percentage of .746 (194-66) inside the Curb since the arena was opened prior to the 2003-04 season.
• Under coach Brooks, Belmont is an exceptional 72-12 (.857) inside the Curb.
• In conference play, the Bruins have been even more dominant at home, going 86-11 (.887) since 2012. In seven seasons, coach Brooks has lost only five league games at the Curb with a 52-5 (.912) record.

 
Versus Missouri State

• Friday evening will be only the third all-time meeting between the two programs with the first two games in the series taking place last winter.
• Belmont defeated the visiting Lady Bears 75-66 on Jan. 20 last year in the Music City before earning a 68-58 win at Missouri State last February.
• Cheesman scored in double figures in both victories, going 3-for-6 from deep for 11 points in the January home win and tallying 10 points on 3-for-7 outside shooting and eight rebounds in the February road triumph.
• McGuff posted 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting in last year's victory over the Lady Bears in Springfield, Missouri.
• The Bruins held Missouri State below 35 percent shooting in both meetings last season.

 
About the Lady Bears

• Led by second-year head coach Beth Cunningham, the Lady Bears are off to a 12-4 start and are tied with Belmont in the Valley with a 6-1 MVC mark.
• Missouri State's three non-conference losses all came on the road at Saint Louis (79-67), Oklahoma State (82-51) and Missouri (81-63). The Lady Bears fell 85-78 at Illinois State on Jan. 14 in conference action.
• In MVC play, Missouri State has topped Northern Iowa (54-52) on a buzzer-beater, Valparaiso (67-47), UIC (51-50) on a last-second layup, Bradley (94-66), Evansville (90-55) and Indiana State (89-71).
• Last season, the Lady Bears went 20-12 and earned an at-large to the WNIT where they lost in the first round at Nebraska. Missouri State tied with Drake for fourth place in the final MVC standings after going 14-6 in the Valley. The Lady Bears were the No. 5 seed for the MVC Tournament and nearly upended the eventual Hoops in the Heartland champion Bulldogs in the quarterfinals.
• In the Valley preseason predicted order of finish, Missouri State was picked fifth.
• Junior 5-foot-11 forward Indya Green leads the Lady Bears in both scoring (10.4 PPG) and rebounding (6.8 RPG), while junior 5-foot-4 transfer guard Lacy Stokes is averaging 10.3 points and a team-best 4.6 assists per game.
• Junior 6-foot-3 forward Kennedy Taylor, an All-MVC Third Team and MVC All-Newcomer Team selection last season, is averaging 9.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per outing.

 
Up Next
The Bruins welcome Southern Illinois to the Curb Sunday afternoon for a 2 p.m. tip. The matinee matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+. Next Friday, Feb. 2, Belmont hosts rival and former OVC foe Murray State at 6 p.m. for a regionally-televised primetime affair.
 
How to Follow
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