Second Half Propels Receiving-Votes Michigan Past Belmont in Florida

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Despite a 27-27 tie at halftime, the Belmont University women's basketball team dropped a 68-58 decision to receiving-votes Michigan in the Bruins' first game at the 2024 Elevance Health Fort Myers Tip-Off in the Sunshine State. The Wolverines (6-1) scored 41 second-half points inside Suncoast Credit Union Arena as Belmont (2-4) was unable to find its shot from deep. The Bruins went 5-for-31 (16.1 percent) from beyond the arc and were limited to 31.7 percent (19-of-60) shooting from the field.
 
Michigan outworked Belmont on the glass (49-34) and scored 22 second-chance points on 16 offensive boards.
 
Forcing 19 Wolverine turnovers, the Bruins scored 17 points off Michigan's offensive miscues. Belmont held the Wolverines to 33.3 percent (20-of-60) shooting, but Michigan knocked down nine three-pointers and went 5-for-8 from outside in the second half.
 
The Wolverines assisted on 15 of their 20 made baskets, including all 10 second-half field goals.
 
The Bruins led by as much as six late in the first half and held a two-point lead with 6:57 remaining in the third quarter.
 
After 90 seconds of scoreless basketball for Belmont, graduate guard Tuti Jones broke the seal with a runner in the lane. A layup from senior forward Carmyn Harrison then evened the score for the first time at 4-4 a little over two minutes in.
 
Eight quick Michigan points gave the Wolverines a 12-4 lead before the Bruins worked their way back. Michigan led 16-12 following one quarter of play.
 
From late in the opening quarter to the two-minute mark of the second frame, Belmont outpaced the Wolverines 15-5. The nine-minute scoring run was ignited by a layup from graduate guard Kendall Holmes and featured a three-pointer by senior forward Kendal Cheesman that gave the Bruins their first lead of the afternoon at 19-16. Sophomore guard Jailyn Banks put together six consecutive points to put Belmont up 27-21 with two minutes to go in the half.
 
However, six-straight Michigan points in the closing 70 seconds of the first half knotted the score at 27 going into the break. The Wolverines' Jordan Hobbs hit a triple and Syla Swords completed a conventional three-point play.
 
Both teams made only 10 first-half field goals and Hobbs had 12 of Michigan's 27 first-half points. Banks led the Bruins with eight points at the half.
 
Buckets from Harrison and Jones kept Belmont in front by two before Harrison converted a pair of free throws to give the Bruins their final lead at 35-33 with over six minutes left in the third quarter.
 
The Wolverines then went on a game-altering 14-3 run over a five-minute span to take a nine-point, 47-38 lead with a minute to go in the third quarter. Belmont trailed 47-39 heading into the final quarter of action.
 
A triple from Holmes kept the Bruins within eight at 52-44 with 7:30 left and another Holmes trey capped an 8-3 Belmont spurt that made it a six-point game at 55-49 with five-and-a-half minutes remaining. The Bruins' hope would be short lived, though, as Michigan went on a game-clinching 13-4 scoring run over the ensuing four minutes of play.
 
Belmont scored the last five points of the contest across the final 90 seconds, including a drive and finish from freshman guard Sanaa Tripp.
 
Harrison scored 11 of her career-high tying 13 points in the second half on 7-for-8 shooting at the free-throw line. Holmes went 3-for-6 from distance in the second half.
 
The Wolverines were 19-for-21 (90.5 percent) at the foul line for the game, including 16-for-18 in the second half.
 
Banks, Harrison and Holmes all finished with 13 points, while Harrison added six rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal. Jones also claimed six boards, to go along with a trio of steals and a pair of assists. Freshman guard Quinn Eubank tallied a career-high four rebounds in nine minutes on the court.
 
Freshman starting guard Olivia Olson led Michigan with a double-double of 19 points and 11 boards. The Wolverines also got 15 points from Hobbs, another 14 points and eight rebounds from Swords, and 11 points and a game-best five assists from freshman starting guard Mila Holloway.

?? | Postgame comments from HC @BartABrooks following the Bruins' opening game at the @FTMyersTipOff versus receiving-votes Michigan ???? pic.twitter.com/208Kr91VTe

— Belmont WBasketball (@BelmontWBB) November 29, 2024

  Of Note

• Michigan was the Bruins' third consecutive power conference opponent.
• Friday afternoon's game came on the heels of playing 14th-ranked Duke (Nov. 21) and 12th-ranked Ohio State (Nov. 17).
• The Wolverines are receiving 51 votes in this week's Associated Press (AP) Top 25 and two votes in the USA Today Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches Poll.
• Belmont is 0-3 against Michigan and 4-18 all-time versus current Big Ten Conference members.

Up Next
The Bruins will face Davidson in the third-place game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off Shell Division Saturday at 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET. The Wildcats were defeated 79-50 by Virginia Tech Friday. Next Wednesday, Belmont takes on nearby rival Lipscomb on the opposite end of Belmont Boulevard for the 78th rendition of the Battle of the Boulevard.
 
How to Follow
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