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Emily_LaChapell_vs_MiddleTennessee2024
Emma Moore
52
Middle Tenn. MTSU 7-3,0-0 CUSA
65
Winner Belmont BEL 5-4,0-0 MVC
Middle Tenn. MTSU
7-3,0-0 CUSA
52
Final
65
Belmont BEL
5-4,0-0 MVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Middle Tenn. MTSU 15 13 11 13 52
Belmont BEL 22 11 12 20 65

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women's Hoops Wins Mid-State Matchup, Takes Down Middle Tennessee 65-52

Junior Guard Emily La Chapell Scores a Career-High 26, Senior Forward Kendal Cheesman Notches Second Double-Double of Season

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a mid-state matchup between two of the top mid-major programs in the nation, the Belmont University women's basketball team earned a convincing 65-52 victory over Middle Tennessee Saturday afternoon inside the Curb Event Center. The Bruins (5-4) got a career-high 26-point performance from junior guard Emily La Chapell and a double-double from senior forward Kendal Cheesman.
 
The Blue Raiders (7-3) entered the weekend ranked second in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25® poll with seven first-place votes. Middle Tennessee had received top-25 votes in both national polls each of the previous four weeks of the season.
 
Belmont led for nearly the entirety of the afternoon from the 8:43 mark of the opening quarter onward and held the Blue Raiders to 34 percent (16-of-47) shooting. Meanwhile, the Bruins connected on a season-high tying 11 three-pointers off a season-best 40.7 percent (11-of-27) shooting mark from outside.
 
Cheesman accounted for six of Belmont's 11 threes as the Bruins limited Middle Tennessee's starting center Anastasiia Boldyreva to four points on 1-for-9 shooting. Boldyreva, the reigning Conference USA and Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Week, entered the game averaging a team-high 16.2 points per outing.
 
With 18 points and 10 rebounds, Cheesman recorded her seventh career double-double and second of the season. La Chapell started 10-for-15 from the field before ending the game with a pair of three-pointers.
 
Belmont held a slight advantage on the boards (35-33) and edged the Blue Raiders in points in the paint (24-22).
 
Middle Tennessee played only six players and got just 3:11 of participation off its bench.
 
La Chapell started 4-for-4 and scored eight of the Bruins' first 11 points. Cheesman's second three and a backdoor cut by graduate guard Kendall Holmes put Belmont up 22-15 in the closing minute of the first quarter.
 
The Bruins shot a blistering 60 percent (9-of-15) in the first 10 minutes of action and were 3-for-5 from deep. The Blue Raiders began 6-for-12 from the floor.
 
Belmont took its first 10-point lead of the contest early in the second quarter on Cheesman's third trey, before going up 27-17 on a putback by senior forward Carmyn Harrison three-and-a-half minutes into the stanza. Cheesman started 4-for-5 from beyond the arc and gave the Bruins a 13-point lead at 30-17 midway through the second quarter.
 
A 9-1 Middle Tennessee run got the Blue Raiders back within five at 31-26 but Belmont took a 33-28 lead into halftime.
 
Middle Tennessee outscored the Bruins 13-11 in the second quarter despite going 4-for-16 from the field and 1-for-5 from distance. Cheesman's two threes made up half of Belmont's made field goals in the quarter.
 
The Bruins shot 44.8 percent (13-of-29) across the first half and went 5-for-12 (41.7 percent) from long range. Both Cheesman (12) and La Chapell (10) were in double figures by the break.
 
Starting guard Ta'Mia Scott had 10 for the Blue Raiders at the half as Middle Tennessee shot 35.7 percent (10-of-28) and was held to 2-for-8 from outside.
 
Cheesman hit her fifth three to put Belmont back up by 10 at 38-28 early in the second half. From there, the Blue Raiders proceeded to go on a 7-0 run to climb back within three at 38-35 with just under four minutes left in the third quarter.
 
Middle Tennessee would get within two at 40-38 following a three from guard Jalynn Gregory. However, a triple by graduate guard Jacee Busick, which danced off the top of the backboard, and a tough jumper from sophomore guard Jailyn Banks, while double teamed and nearing the end of the shot clock, kept the Bruins in front by seven at 45-38 late in the third.
 
Belmont led 45-39 heading into the final quarter of play.
 
Gregory was responsible for eight of the Blue Raiders' 11 points in the third quarter.
 
La Chapell stretched the Bruins' lead out to eight at 47-39, but another 7-0 Middle Tennessee scoring run made it a one-point game at 47-46 with just over six minutes left. A pair of Banks free throws and a driving layup by La Chapell put Belmont up 51-46 with five-and-a-half minutes to go.
 
The Blue Raiders stayed within a possession until Cheesman knocked down her sixth trey to make it 56-50 with 3:16 left. Moments later, La Chapell gave the Bruins some breathing room with a corner three making it 59-50 with 2:28 remaining.
 
Holmes extended Belmont's lead back out to 10 at 62-52 with a triple of her own, before coming up with a steal with only 1:19 to go.
 
La Chapell sealed the deal with a wing three in the final minute.
 
The Bruins ended the game with four-straight three-pointers and held Middle Tennessee without a field goal for the last five minutes. Belmont closed on an impressive 18-6 run.
 
Outscoring the Blue Raiders 20-13 in the fourth quarter, the Bruins outpaced Middle Tennessee 32-24 in the second half. La Chapell scored 12 of her career-high 26 in the fourth. Belmont went 7-for-14 from the field and 4-for-6 from distance in the final 10 minutes.
 
The Blue Raiders were limited to 31.6 percent (6-of-19) shooting in the second half.
 
The Bruins finished 42.4 percent (25-of-49) overall.
 
Harrison also claimed 10 rebounds and Banks dished out a team-high five assists.
 
Both Gregory and Scott tallied 15 points for Middle Tennessee and the Blue Raiders got 13 points from forward Elina Arike. Boldyreva claimed a game-high 12 boards for Middle Tennessee. 
 
Of Note
  • The 52 points is the lowest point total the Blue Raiders have been held to this season.
  • Belmont improves to 16-19 versus Middle Tennessee all-time and 5-4 since joining the NCAA.
  • The Bruins are 5-1 against the Blue Raiders under head coach Bart Brooks.
  • Saturday's win is coach Brooks' 80th inside the Curb. Belmont has gone 80-14 at home over eight seasons under the direction of coach Brooks.
  • The Bruins are 104-15 (.874) at the Curb since the start of the 2015-16 season.
  • Belmont improves to 55-36 all-time versus current Conference USA members, including 2-0 this season (Kennesaw State on Nov. 14).
Up Next
The Bruins have a week off from game action before heading down to the Magnolia State next Saturday to take on receiving-votes Mississippi State in a neutral-site affair in Tupelo, Mississippi. Tipoff from Cadence Bank Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
 
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.
 
#ItsBruinTime
 
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