Women's Hoops Visits Valparaiso Thursday Evening

 
VALPARAISO, Ind. – Hitting the road following a home weekend, the Belmont University women's basketball team travels to Valparaiso University Thursday evening. Tipoff from the Athletics-Recreation Center in Valparaiso, Indiana, is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Brian Jennings (play-by-play) and Sam Michel (analyst) on the call. The game can also be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeart Radio with Dr. Rich Tiner providing play-by-play of the action. Live in-game statistics will be available at BelmontBruins.com.
 
Every free throw the Bruins make throughout the month of February benefits the Kay Yow Cancer Fund through the Play4Kay Pledge It Playoff. To learn more about Play4Kay and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, visit KayYow.com. To make a pledge on Belmont's free throws during the month or to donate, visit the Bruins' Play4Kay page. All proceeds benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
 
What's Bruin

• Belmont (18-7, 11-3 MVC) looks to bounce back from only its third Missouri Valley Conference setback of the season after suffering a 77-71 defeat to league leader Drake last Saturday inside the Curb Event Center in Nashville.
• The Bruins are 7-5 away from the Music City and 6-4 in true road games this season.
• Belmont is 5-1 this season following a loss.
• Thursday evening's contest is the first of only two solo road games for the Bruins in MVC play. On Sunday, Belmont heads to Murray State.
• The Bulldogs of Drake this past Saturday joined Northern Iowa, Missouri State, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Stanford and Missouri as the only teams who have been able to score more than 70 points against the Bruins in 2023-24.
• Belmont won five straight to begin MVC play and also won five in a row near the end of its non-conference schedule. The Bruins have put together at least a five-game winning streak in 12-striahgt seasons dating back to 2012-13.
• Belmont has held opponents under 65 points 15 times this season and kept teams under 60 points on 11 occasions.
• Leading the Valley in both scoring (61.7 PPG) and field goal percentage (39.1) defense, the Bruins are limiting opponents to 60.1 points per game through 14 MVC contests. Belmont has held its opponent under 60 points in half of its 14 MVC games.
• The Bruins 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 Jan. 12 after walloping Bradley by 42 points (89-47) at home on Jan. 6.
• 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' seven losses have been against top-15 opponents – then fourth-ranked Stanford and 13th-ranked Ohio State.
• Belmont continues to be ranked among the top 15 mid-major programs and is 14th in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25^®.

 
Last Time Out

• Defending Hoops in the Heartland champion Drake snapped the Bruins' nine-game home winning streak last weekend despite junior forward Tessa Miller's career day.
• The Bulldogs used a 16-8 start to the fourth quarter to hand Belmont just its second home loss of the season (11-2).
• Recording her sixth career double-double, Miller scored a career-high 24 points on 11-for-16 shooting, grabbed a game-best 12 rebounds and distributed five assists. Adding a block and a steal, it was Miller's second double-double of the season.
• The Bruins were outscored 17-13 in the pivotal fourth quarter as Belmont succumbed to Drake's 51.6 percent shooting performance.
• The Bulldogs got off to a 9-0 start, but the Bruins recovered and led by as much as eight in the second quarter. A convincing Drake scoring run midway through the second quarter shifted the momentum back to the Bulldogs and the visitors led for all but 15 seconds the rest of the way.
• Drake assisted on 24 of its 32 made field goals and held a plus-eight (38-30) advantage on the boards. Outscoring Belmont 46-34 down low, the Bulldogs turned 16 Bruin turnovers into 18 points.
• Belmont limited Drake to 8-for-25 from distance but left seven points at the free-throw line, going 5-for-12 from the charity stripe.
• The Bruins shot 46.7 percent from the field and went 10-for-27 from beyond the arc. For the second consecutive outing, Belmont tallied over 20 assists with the Bruins assisting on 22 of their 28 baskets.
• Junior forward Kendal Cheesman finished with 13 points and five boards, while senior guard Blair Schoenwald scored 12 points on 4-for-6 outside shooting and dished out a trio of assists in her fourth career start.
• Junior forward Carmyn Harrison notched a career-high five assists.

 
Another Challenging Non-Conference

• Once again playing one of the most strenuous non-conference schedules in the nation, Belmont went 7-4 with its four losses coming against power conference opponents. Three of the Bruins' four losses were away from Nashville as Belmont went 4-1 at the Curb.
• Six of the Bruins' 11 non-conference opponents were from power conferences. Five of Belmont's first six games of the season were against power conference programs.
• The Bruins defeated two power conference teams during the non-conference portion of the schedule, routing Southeastern Conference mainstay Georgia 76-50 in Belmont's 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.
• The Bruins own five victories over power conference teams in four seasons. In addition to the Lady Bulldogs and the Wildcats, Belmont has earned wins against Oregon, Ole Miss and Auburn in recent years.
• The Bruins also came within a point of defeating receiving-votes Mississippi State on Sunday, Nov. 19 inside the Curb. A free-throw line jumper by freshman standout guard Jailyn Banks and a putback attempt from junior guard Kilyn McGuff both rimmed off in the final seconds.

Player Notes

• Miller has scored in double figures in 19 of 25 games this season and has distributed at least three assists 14 times. In the home win over Northern Iowa on Feb. 15, Miller earned a career-best nine assists. She led all Belmont players against the nationally-ranked Buckeyes with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting and scored 19 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 Georgia with 17 points and 11 boards. With seven rebounds in the home win over Murray State on Feb. 2, Miller surpassed 500 for her career. She is the first Bruin to record 500 career rebounds since Ellie Harmeyer Strutz (2015-20) and Maddie Wright (2016-20).
• Off to a sensational start to her collegiate career, Banks has been selected as MVC Freshman of the Week six times this season and was chosen for the conference weekly award three-straight weeks in January (Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 23). Reaching double figures in 17 of her first 24 games, Banks is second on 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. Already etching her name in Belmont's record book, Banks set the program record for made free throws in a game on Feb. 9 at Missouri State. Going 17-for-20 at the foul line against the Lady Bears, Banks broke the Bruins' single-game made free throws record of 15, which had been held by Candice Mitchell (1998-02) since Jan. 26, 2002.
• Reaching double-figure scoring in six consecutive games from Jan. 6-26 for the first time in her career, Cheesman has recorded multiple blocks in nine outings this season. In the home win over Missouri State on Jan. 26, Cheesman claimed her third career and second-straight double-double with a game-best 18 points and 12 boards. Among the top three-point shooters in the nation (42.4 percent), Cheesman is shooting 48.6 percent (36-of-74) from deep 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 the SEC's Lady Bulldogs, 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, Jones returned for the opener against the Tigers and has distributed at least four assists in 17 of 25 games this season. Averaging a team-best 4.0 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 223 career steals, which ranks sixth in program history. In fact, Jones is second in Belmont's NCAA era in steals as she ranks behind only Tara Montgomery (244). With 926 career points, Jones needs just 74 more to become the Bruins' 35th 1,000-point scorer. 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.
• Going up against her father's program, McGuff secured a team-high six rebounds at Ohio State. She has scored in double figures on nine occasions this season 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 Belmont's jersey on Jan. 4, La Chapell scored a career-high 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting versus Illinois State. She has reached double figures in six of her first 14 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 three boards and a block.

Among the Toughest Schedules in the Nation

• A total of 14 opponents on the Bruins' schedule had a winning record in 2022-23, while 10 adversaries won 20 or more games last season and 12 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).
• The Bruins' non-conference strength of schedule is currently 30th in the nation, while Belmont's 2023-24 schedule as a whole is the 96th-most difficult among 360 teams.

 
Nothing but NET

• The Bruins have faced six opponents ranked inside the top 75 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), including No. 2 Stanford and No. 8 Ohio State. Belmont is currently 72nd in the NET as the second-highest ranked team from the MVC behind No. 69 Drake.
• The Beacons enter Thursday with the third-lowest NET ranking in the Valley, sitting at No. 302.

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 (1,075).

 
Conference Dominance

• Since the 2012-13 season, the Bruins have compiled a remarkable 168-35 (.828) record in league play and won 12 combined championships, including regular season and tournament titles.
• Coach Brooks is a ridiculous 108-15 (.878) in conference action in seven seasons.
• Altogether, including conference tournaments, Belmont has gone 191-40 (.827) against league opposition over the last 12 seasons.

 
When it Matters Most

• In February and March, the Bruins have been at their best. Belmont is a stunning 91-15 (.858) in the two key months since 2016.
• Under coach Brooks, the Bruins have gone 71-12 (.855) in February and March.

Under Coach Brooks

• In his seventh season at the helm, coach Brooks picked up his 150th win in less than 200 career games with Belmont's 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 the Bruins to a 164-53 (.756) 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 122-17 (.878) 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

• Belmont was 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 the Bruins' first year in the conference in 2022-23. Going 23-12 overall and 17-3 in the Valley, Belmont reached its third-straight conference tournament title game and made its 10th national postseason appearance in 11 seasons with an at-large bid to the WNIT.

 
Versus Valparaiso

• Thursday will be just the third all-time meeting between the two programs with the Bruins winning both of the first two matchups.
• Belmont defeated Valparaiso 74-60 on Dec. 30, 2022, in Nashville in the first-ever game between the two teams. McGuff posted 11 points and six rebounds in the home contest.
• On March 4 last year, the Bruins captured a share of the MVC regular season title with a gritty, 70-67 win over the Beacons in Valparaiso. Belmont struggled inside the Athletic-Recreation Center, going 4-for-23 from outside and shooting 43.1 percent overall from the floor. The Beacons connected on 15 of their 32 three-point attempts during the regular season finale.
• Cheesman scored 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including 2-for-4 from long range, in the Bruins' first trip to Valparaiso last March.

 
About the Beacons

• Led by sixth-year head coach Mary Evans, the Beacons (5-18, 4-10 MVC) have gone 4-4 over their last eight games with road wins at Bradley (68-50), UIC (71-70) and Evansville (70-59). Valparaiso's last home win came on Jan. 21 versus Bradley (79-55). The Beacons began MVC play 0-6.
• The Beacons' lone non-conference victory was an 83-64 home triumph over Chicago State.
• Valparaiso was picked 10th in the MVC Preseason Poll after finishing 11th a year ago with a 5-15 conference mark.
• The Beacons are 2-6 at home this season.
• Senior 5-foot-10 guard/forward Leah Earnest is averaging a team-best 16.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
• Fifth-year 5-foot-8 guard Olivia Brown is also averaging double-figure scoring (10.8 PPG) and is shooting 42.4 percent (36-of-85) from deep.
• Last time out, Earnest scored a career-high 32 points (half of the team's points) in Valparaiso's 78-64 loss at Illinois State this past Saturday.
• The Beacons also feature starting freshmen twins, Saniya (8.9 PPG) and Nevaeh (7.0 PPG) Jackson.

 
Up Next
Belmont travels to Murray State for a Sunday matinee in Murray, Kentucky. Tipoff from the CFSB Center is set for 2 p.m. Next weekend, the Bruins host Indiana State and Evansville to wrap up their regular season home slate.

How to Follow
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