Bruins Pick Up 75-55 Road Victory at Wichita State for First Win of Season

WICHITA, Kan. – Behind a 47-point second half, the Belmont University women's basketball team earned its first victory of the 2024-25 season with a convincing 75-55 win at Wichita State Saturday afternoon. The Bruins (1-1) shot 53.3 percent (16-of-30) from the field in the second half and outscored the host Shockers (1-1) 47-25 after trailing by two at the break.
 
Junior guard Emily La Chapell (17), sophomore guard Jailyn Banks (16), senior forward Kendal Cheesman (13) and graduate guard Kendall Holmes (12) all scored in double figures and Belmont held Wichita State to 27.9 percent (19-of-68) shooting.
 
A 14-4 scoring run early in the second half sparked a 26-point third quarter and the Bruins led from the 8:32 mark in the third period onward. Going 10-for-10 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, Belmont finished with 16 made foul shots while dominating the paint. The Bruins outscored the Shockers 38-20 in the paint and outworked Wichita State 47-42 on the glass.
 
Forcing 15 turnovers, Belmont scored 18 points off the Shockers' miscues.
 
A three from La Chapell gave the Bruins their first points of the afternoon and Belmont took an eight-point lead at 16-8 on a La Chapell layup. La Chapell scored nine points in the opening quarter and the Bruins led by 10 at 21-11 following the first 10 minutes of action.
 
A Cheesman jumper put Belmont in front 23-15 two-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter and the Bruins remained in control until the final four minutes of the half. Freshman forward Hilary Fuller made a fadeaway jumper at the 4:12 mark of the half to put Belmont up 28-18 before Wichita State made its run.
 
The Shockers' Princess Anderson knocked down a three to instigate a 12-0 Wichita State run to close the half as the Bruins were unable to convert on the offensive end. Anderson hit two more triples during the stretch to give the Shockers a 30-28 edge heading into halftime.
 
Belmont was outpaced 19-7 in the second quarter after going 3-for-14 from the floor and 0-for-4 from deep.
 
La Chapell once again got the Bruins going in the second half with a tying layup and Banks put Belmont up for good 88 seconds into the third quarter. A Holmes jumper capped the Bruins' 14-4 run to make it 44-36 with 5:43 left in the third and she made it a 10-point game at 48-38 with another jumper.
 
After Wichita State scored five-straight points, senior forward Carmyn Harrison finished on a tough layup to end the third quarter. Harrison's score gave Belmont a 54-46 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
The Bruins shot 55 percent (11-of-20) in the third stanza and went 2-for-4 from beyond the arc with Holmes providing 10 of Belmont's 26 points.
 
Cheesman nailed a three-pointer to increase the Bruins' advantage to 13 at 61-48 with six-and-a-half minutes remaining, and Belmont led by double digits the rest of the way. The Bruins ended the game on a 10-1 run across the last four minutes.
 
Belmont limited the Shockers to 21.9 percent shooting and only seven made field goals in the second half.
 
Banks had eight points in the fourth quarter on 6-for-6 shooting at the foul line.
 
Harrison snagged a career-high 11 rebounds and Holmes tied her career high with seven boards, while also coming up with a trio of steals. Cheesman made a career-high tying four blocks and Banks distributed a game-best five assists to go along with her 16 points.
 
Wichita State guard Salese Blow led the Shockers with 16 points, while Anderson finished with 12 and guard Taylor Jameson scored 10.

?? | HC @BartABrooks on the Bruins' victory at Wichita State and why you should come out to the Curb next week! #ItsBruinTime | #Splashville pic.twitter.com/DZHzQhWQEE

— Belmont WBasketball (@BelmontWBB) November 10, 2024

Of Note

• The Bruins improve to 2-0 against Wichita State.
• Belmont is now 17-13 all-time against current American Athletic Conference teams.

Up Next
The Bruins return to the Music City next week to host Kennesaw State Thursday night for their home opener. Tipoff from the Curb Event Center is slated for 6:30 p.m. Next Sunday, Nov. 17, Belmont welcomes 14th-ranked and defending Big Ten Conference regular season champion Ohio State to Nashville. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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.