Top-15 Kansas State Tops Bruins Thursday Night in Season Opener

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Despite a tightly-contested opening quarter, the Belmont University women's basketball team was handed an 82-56 loss by 13th-ranked Kansas State Thursday night to begin the Bruins' 2024-25 season. The top-15 host Wildcats (2-0) used a 23-8 second quarter to pull away from Belmont (0-1) early and K-State shot over 50 percent from the field and was 9-for-22 from deep.
 
The Bruins trailed by only three at 19-16 after one quarter of play.
 
Uncharacteristically, Belmont shot 31.3 percent (21-of-67) from the floor and went 4-for-22 (18.2 percent) from beyond the arc inside Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas.
 
In the two teams' first-ever meeting, the Bruins were unable to put extended runs together after the Wildcats took a 20-point lead. Both squads turned the ball over 17 times but K-State outscored Belmont 42-28 in the paint.
 
Graduate transfer guard Kendall Holmes put the Bruins up 8-4 two minutes in with back-to-back triples, however, a 13-0 scoring run by the hosts quickly shifted Belmont's early momentum. The Bruins would end the quarter on an 8-2 run of their own with freshman guard Sanaa Tripp scoring on a layup for her first career basket.
 
In her first game donning the Belmont jersey, Holmes began 3-for-3 from the field and had 10 points in the first quarter.
 
The Bruins were held scoreless for nearly four-and-a-half minutes to begin the second quarter as the Wildcats scored 12 unanswered. Consecutive three-pointers from graduate guard Tuti Jones kept Belmont within 13 at 37-24, but the Bruins were held without a field goal for the last 3:36 of the half.
 
K-State led 42-24 at halftime after shooting 55.2 percent (16-of-29) and going 6-for-12 from outside in the opening 20 minutes. The Wildcats' Temira Poindexter had 19 first-half points.
 
Belmont outscored K-State 13-11 in the first five-and-a-half minutes of the second half. A free throw by sophomore guard Jailyn Banks got the Bruins within 15 at 50-35 before the Wildcats ended the third quarter on a 15-5 run.
 
Banks and junior guard Emily La Chapell combined for 14 of Belmont's 16 third-quarter points.
 
K-State forward Kennedy Taylor, a transfer from fellow Missouri Valley Conference member Missouri State, had 11 third-quarter points for the Wildcats.
 
The Bruins trailed 65-40 heading into the final quarter.
 
Balanced scoring in the fourth gave Belmont 16 more points but it was too little, too late for the Bruins in the Little Apple. Belmont was unable to get closer than 23 in the closing 10 minutes.
 
The Bruins went 0-for-10 from deep in the second half.
 
Holmes led all Belmont players with 12 points, while Banks, Jones and La Chapell scored 10 each. Senior forward Kendal Cheesman grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
 
Poindexter finished with a game-best 23 points for K-State and Taylor notched 18 points. The Wildcats also got 14 points, six boards and five assists from guard Zyanna Walker.
 
The Bruins limited guard Serena Sundell, a Naismith Player of the Year preseason watch list member, to six points on 3-for-9 shooting.
 
Of Note

• All three of Belmont's freshmen played at least eight minutes.
• Freshman forward Hilary Fuller scored her first career basket in the second quarter and recorded six points on 3-for-6 shooting.
• Tripp came up with a pair of steals and made a block in her debut.
• Jones scored in double figures for the 54th time in her established career.

Up Next
The Bruins remain in the state of Kansas and travel to Wichita State Saturday. Tipoff from Charles Koch Arena in Wichita is scheduled for 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Next Thursday, Belmont hosts Kennesaw State at the Curb Event Center for the Bruins' home opener.
 
Ticket Info
Season tickets are on sale now for $199 per seat and include all women's and men's basketball home games.
 
View available seating and purchase your seats.
 
Flex pack plans for the 2024-25 season are also on sale and can be purchased here.
 
For more information, call 615-460-BALL or visit BelmontBruins.com/Tickets.
 
How to Follow
Follow Belmont women's basketball on social media - @BelmontWBB on X, formerly 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.