Women's Basketball Begins Final Home Regular Season Weekend with Indiana State Friday

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Beginning its final home regular season weekend, the Belmont University women's basketball team welcomes Indiana State to the Curb Event Center Friday night. Tipoff from the Curb Event Center is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
 
The Friday primetime matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Dr. Rich Tiner (play-by-play) and former Bruin forward Ellie Harmeyer Strutz ('20) (analyst) on the call. Landen Secrest will be reporting from the sideline. The home game can also be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeart Radio. Live in-game statistics will be available at BelmontBruins.com.
 
Free Belmont miniature flags will be given away to all fans in attendance.
 
What's Bruin

• Winners of back-to-back games, the Bruins (20-7, 13-3 MVC) secured their ninth consecutive 20-win season last Sunday with a convincing 76-63 win at rival Murray State.
• Only nine other programs have also won 20-plus games for nine-straight seasons – UConn, Stanford, Baylor, South Carolina, Iowa, NC State, Indiana, South Dakota State and Florida Gulf Coast.
• Belmont has earned three regular season sweeps (Southern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Murray State) and defeated the Sycamores (10-16, 6-10 MVC) 61-56 on Jan. 14 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
• Drake, Northern Iowa, Missouri State, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Stanford and Missouri are 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 17 times this season and kept teams under 60 points on 12 occasions.
• Leading the Valley in both scoring (61.6 PPG) and field goal percentage (39.1) defense, the Bruins are limiting opponents to 60.1 points per game through 16 MVC contests. Belmont has held its opponent under 60 points in half of its 16 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, checking in at No. 15 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25^®.

 
Last Time Out

• The Racers, who are one of the top scoring teams in the country, have been held under 70 points just twice this season, both of their run-ins with the Bruins.
• Belmont used a 26-16 fourth quarter to get past Murray State this past Sunday afternoon. Trailing for 11 minutes of the contest and facing a deficit as late as the two-minute mark of the third quarter, the Bruins ended the third period on a 9-3 scoring run before putting together a dominant fourth.
• Committing a season-low eight turnovers, Belmont took advantage of the Racers' offensive miscues. The Bruins scored 16 points off 13 Murray State turnovers while overcoming a 34-30 shortfall in points in the paint.
• Belmont held one of the top shooting teams in the nation to 41.9 percent from the field and 5-for-19 from beyond the arc. Despite making only six three-pointers on 33.3 percent shooting from outside (6-of-18), the Bruins shot 49.1 percent overall and were nearly automatic at the free-throw line. Belmont converted 16 of its 17 free-throw attempts.
• The Racers scored 35 points off the bench and owned a slim margin on the boards (34-31).
• The Bruins were backed by a career-high 25 points from junior forward Tessa Miller and fellow junior forward Kendal Cheesman's fourth double-double of the season.
• Miller went 10-for-19 from the floor and added five rebounds, a team-best four assists and two steals. Cheesman nearly matched her career high with a game-best 13 boards and scored 11 points to go along with two blocks, two assists and a steal.
• Redshirt junior guard Tuti Jones finished with 15 points, four rebounds and two steals, while sophomore guard Emily La Chapell posted 11 points and had a pair of boards and a block.

 
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 21 of 27 games this season, distributed at least three assists 16 times and surpassed 20 points in two of her last three outings. 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 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 11 contests 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 (42.1 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 27 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 game-high five steals before coming up with a season-best six steals at Valparaiso on Feb. 22. The Troy, Alabama (Charles Henderson HS), native has totaled 231 career steals, which is 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 953 career points, Jones needs just 47 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 versus the Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. 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 against 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 half of her first 16 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 93rd-most difficult among 360 teams.

 
Nothing but NET

• The Bruins have faced eight opponents ranked inside the top 100 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), including No. 3 Stanford and No. 8 Ohio State. Belmont is currently 69th in the NET as the highest ranked team from the MVC.
• Indiana State enters the weekend with the fourth-lowest NET ranking in the Valley, sitting just inside the top 250 at No. 247.

 
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 10 teams in the nation to have won 20 or more games for nine-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 (1,077).

 
Conference Dominance

• Since the 2012-13 season, the Bruins have compiled a remarkable 170-35 (.829) record in league play and won 12 combined championships, including regular season and tournament titles.
• Coach Brooks is a ridiculous 110-15 (.880) in conference action in seven seasons.
• Altogether, including conference tournaments, Belmont has gone 193-40 (.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 93-15 (.861) in the two key months since 2016.
• Under coach Brooks, the Bruins have gone 73-12 (.859) 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 166-53 (.758) 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 124-17 (.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.

 
Bruins at Home

• The Bruins are 100-14 (.877) at home since the start of the 2015-16 season.
• Belmont has a home winning percentage of .747 (198-67) inside the Curb since the arena opened prior to the 2003-04 season.
• Under coach Brooks, the Bruins are an exceptional 76-13 (.854) inside the Curb.
• In conference play, Belmont has been even more dominant at home, going 90-12 (.882) since 2012. In seven seasons, coach Brooks has lost only six league games at the Curb with a 56-6 (.903) record.

 
Versus Indiana State

• Friday evening will be the ninth all-time meeting between the Bruins and the Sycamores with Belmont holding a 6-2 edge in the series. The Bruins are 3-0 versus Indiana State since joining the MVC prior to the 2022-23 season.
• In the January matchup between the two teams in Indiana, Belmont staged a fourth-quarter comeback. The Bruins trailed for all but six minutes of game action and led for only 1:46 of the contest. However, Belmont outscored the host Sycamores 21-7 in the pivotal fourth quarter to move to 5-0 in MVC play.
• Banks made the game-winning play in the final 15 seconds, quite literally stealing the road win. With the Bruins trailing 56-55 with 13 seconds remaining, Banks ripped the ball away from Indiana State near midcourt and finished at the rim through an intentional foul. Jones knocked down both free throws following the hard foul and sealed the 61-56 triumph with two more free throws.
• Jones had 13 points and six rebounds in the first meeting this season, while La Chapell finished with 12 points and Cheesman 10.
• Last February, Belmont defeated the Sycamores 81-69 in Nashville. Cheesman went for 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting and claimed seven boards as McGuff scored 12. Both teams shot over 50 percent from the floor and the Bruins went 11-for-24 from three-point range.

 
About the Sycamores

• Under the direction of interim head coach Deidra Johnson, Indiana State has likewise won two in a row.
• The Sycamores are fresh off a 74-67 road victory at Bradley in Peoria, Illinois, last Sunday after defeating Evansville 69-66 last Thursday at home.
• Prior to Indiana State's two recent wins, the Sycamores had last five of six games.
• Indiana State went 4-6 in non-conference play.
• The Sycamores were picked ninth in the MVC Preseason Poll after tying with the Purple Aces for ninth place last year. Going 6-14 in the Valley, Indiana State finished 11-19 overall in 2022-23.
• Four Sycamores average between 9.5 and 11.5 points per game, led by senior 6-foot guard Kiley Bess (11.3 PPG), a Saint Louis University transfer.
• Redshirt senior 6-foot forward Mya Glanton leads Indiana State in rebounding (7.1 RPG) and is averaging 10.7 points per outing.
• Fifth-year 6-foot forward Chelsea Cain (10.4 PPG) is also averaging double-figure scoring, while sophomore 6-foot guard Bella Finnegan, a returning MVC All-Freshman Team selection, is averaging 9.8 points per contest.
• Fifth-year 5-foot-9 guard Ella Sawyer leads the team in assists (3.5 APG).

 
Up Next
Belmont hosts Evansville for senior day Sunday afternoon. Tipoff from the Curb is slated for 1 p.m. Senior guard Blair Schoenwald and Tuti Jones will both be honored prior to the game, which 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.