Women's Basketball Travels to Rival Murray State Sunday Afternoon

 
MURRAY, Ky. – Seeking its third regular season sweep of the year, the Belmont University women's basketball team heads to rival Murray State for a Sunday matinee. Tipoff from the CFSB Center in Murray, Kentucky, is slated for 2 p.m.
 
The road matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Rob Cross (play-by-play) and Jeff Bidwell (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 (19-7, 12-3 MVC) is seeking its ninth-straight 20-win season.
• The Bruins are 8-5 away from the Music City and 7-4 in true road games this season.
• Belmont has already earned two regular season sweeps (Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa) and defeated the Racers (16-8, 9-6 MVC) 73-54 on Friday, Feb. 2 in Nashville.
• On Thursday night, the Bruins cruised to an 83-56 victory at Valparaiso.
• Sunday afternoon's contest is the second of only two solo road games for Belmont in Missouri Valley Conference action, Thursday against the Beacons in Indiana was the other.
• Drake last 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-straight seasons dating back to 2012-13.
• Belmont has held opponents under 65 points 16 times this season and kept teams under 60 points on 12 occasions.
• Leading the Valley in both scoring (61.5 PPG) and field goal percentage (39.0) defense, the Bruins are limiting opponents to 59.9 points per game through 15 MVC contests. Belmont has held its opponent under 60 points in over half (8) of its 15 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

• For the first time since Thanksgiving week, five Bruins reached double figures Thursday night at Valparaiso as Belmont eclipsed 80 points for the fifth time of the season behind a season-best 57.7 percent shooting performance.
• For the third-straight game, the Bruins totaled more than 20 assists and 10 different players scored at least a basket. Belmont tied its season high with 23 assists on 30 made field goals.
• The Bruins went 10-for-23 from beyond the arc and got 30 points from their bench with both sophomore guard Emily La Chapell and junior forward Carmyn Harrison reaching double figures.
• Belmont held a sizable advantage on the glass (37-25) and scored 24 points off 18 Beacon turnovers. The Bruins outpaced Valparaiso 34-28 in the paint.
• Leading for nearly 37 minutes of the game, Belmont overcame a slow start and nine first-quarter turnovers. Limiting the Beacons to 35.1 percent shooting, including 5-for-27 from outside, the Bruins recovered from an early three-point deficit with a 28-point second quarter.
• Junior guard Kilyn McGuff tallied a team-best 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including 4-for-6 from distance, and collected six rebounds.
• Both junior forward Tessa Miller and redshirt junior guard Tuti Jones put together phenomenal stat lines. Miller accounted for 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting, a game-high tying eight boards, five assists and a block, while Jones had 12 points on 3-for-4 shooting from three-point range, a game-best six assists and season-high six steals.
• Going 5-for-6 from the field, La Chapell posted 13 points, four rebounds and two steals. Harrison reached career highs in both points (10) and assists (6), tied her career high in steals (3) and gathered five boards.

 
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 Event Center.
• 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 McGuff both rimmed off in the final seconds.

 
Player Notes

• Miller has scored in double figures in 20 of 26 games this season and has distributed at least three assists 15 times. In the home win over Northern Iowa on Feb. 15, Miller earned a career-best nine assists. Against the MVC-leading Bulldogs on Feb. 17, Miller recorded her sixth career double-double with a career-high 24 points on 11-for-16 shooting, 12 rebounds and five 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 10 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 (41.8 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 18 of 26 games this season. Averaging a team-best 4.1 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 game-high five steals. The Troy, Alabama (Charles Henderson HS), native has totaled 229 career steals, which is tied for fifth-most in program history. In fact, Jones is second in Belmont's NCAA era in steals as she ranks behind only Tara Montgomery (244). With 938 career points, Jones needs just 62 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 10 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 seven of her first 15 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 32nd in the nation, while Belmont's 2023-24 schedule as a whole is the 98th-most difficult among 360 teams.

 
Nothing but NET

• The Bruins have faced seven opponents ranked inside the top 100 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), including No. 3 Stanford and No. 7 Ohio State. Belmont is currently 72nd in the NET as the second-highest ranked team from the MVC behind No. 70 Drake.
• Murray State enters Sunday with the third-highest NET ranking in the Valley, sitting just outside the top 100 at No. 102.

 
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 (1,076).

 
Conference Dominance

• Since the 2012-13 season, the Bruins have compiled a remarkable 169-35 (.828) record in league play and won 12 combined championships, including regular season and tournament titles.
• Coach Brooks is a ridiculous 109-15 (.879) in conference action in seven seasons.
• Altogether, including conference tournaments, Belmont has gone 192-40 (.828) 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 92-15 (.860) in the two key months since 2016.
• Under coach Brooks, the Bruins have gone 72-12 (.857) 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 165-53 (.757) 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 123-17 (.879) 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 earned its 10th national postseason berth in 11 seasons with an at-large bid to the WNIT.

 
Versus Murray State

• Sunday afternoon will be the 27th all-time meeting between the two programs with the Bruins holding a commanding 22-4 lead in the series.
• Belmont has won 17 of the last 19 matchups going back to the 2000-01 season.
• The Bruins went 14-1 against the Racers during Belmont's 10-year run in the OVC.
• Belmont has earned a victory over Murray State in six of the last seven meetings.
• To begin the month of February, the Bruins limited the Racers' high-octane offense to season lows in points (54), shooting percentage (31.0) and made field goals (18). Conversely, Belmont shot 50.9 percent and went 8-for-21 from behind the arc. It is the only game this season Murray State has been held under 70 points. Four Bruins reached double figures led by Banks' 16 points. Senior guard Blair Schoenwald went 4-for-4 from outside.
• In both teams' first year in the Valley last season, Belmont split games with the Racers.
• On Jan. 11, 2023, the Bruins' last trip to Murray, Kentucky, Belmont was handed a 64-46 loss. The Bruins were held to 33.3 percent shooting and didn't score more than 13 points in any quarter.
• With an 85-79 win at Murray State on Feb. 24, 2022, Belmont captured the 2022 OVC regular season title outright.

 
About the Racers

• Led by seventh-year head coach Rechelle Turner, the Racers have lost two of their last three but are coming off an 83-63 win at UIC Thursday night.
• The weekend after Murray State's loss to the Bruins in Nashville, the Racers went 2-0 with road victories at Southern Illinois (81-74) on Feb. 9 and Missouri State (95-89) on Feb. 11.
• Murray State is 8-3 at the CFSB Center this season but has lost its last three home games. The Racers' last home win was on Jan. 26 versus the Salukis.
• Picked seventh in the MVC Preseason Poll, Murray State finished eighth in its inaugural season in the Valley. The Racers went 7-13 in the MVC last season and finished 15-16 overall.
• Murray State is third in the nation in scoring (87.0 PPG) and 27th in field goal percentage (45.7). The Racers lead the country in bench points per game (37.2) and are sixth in made foul shots per contest (16.5).
• Senior 6-foot-1 center Katelyn Young, a preseason All-MVC First Team pick and returning All-MVC First Team selection, leads the MVC in scoring (19.5 PPG) and is tied for fourth in rebounding (8.1 RPG).
• Both junior 6-foot-1 guard/forward Ava Learn (11.0 PPG), a Purdue transfer, and 5-foot-6 freshman guard Haven Ford (10.1 PPG) are averaging double figures off the bench.
• Senior 6-foot forward Hannah McKay is also averaging double-figure scoring (10.0 PPG) and 6.3 rebounds per contest.
• Senior 5-foot-8 guard Bria Sanders-Woods leads the team in assists (4.1 APG).

 
Up Next
Belmont hosts Indiana State and Evansville next weekend to wrap up the home portion of the regular season. The Sycamores visit the Curb next Friday for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff before the Purple Aces represent the Bruins' senior day opponent next Sunday. Both weekend games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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.