Second-Seeded Bruins Begin MVC Tournament Play with UIC in Quarterfinals

 
MOLINE, Ill. – Beginning its Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title quest, the second-seeded Belmont University women's basketball team faces seventh-seeded University of Illinois Chicago Friday evening in the quarterfinals. Tipoff from Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline, Illinois, is set for 6 p.m.
 
The quarterfinal matchup in the Quad Cities will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN, available on ESPN+, with Scott Warmann (play-by-play) and Laura Leonard (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.
 
What's Bruin

• The Bruins (24-7, 17-3 MVC) go into the MVC Tournament on a six-game winning streak, their longest of the season.
• Including this year's Hoops in the Heartland championship, Belmont has been a top-two seed at its conference tournament for nine-straight seasons.
• The Bruins have won 24 games in a single season for the first time since 2018-19.
• 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 finished MVC play 17-3 for the second consecutive season and earned seven regular season sweeps (Illinois State, Bradley, Evansville, Indiana State, Murray State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois).
• The Bruins are 11-5 away from the Music City and 1-1 in neutral-site games this season.
• Bradley, Drake, Northern Iowa, Missouri State, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 4 Stanford and Missouri are the only teams who have been able to score more than 70 points against Belmont in 2023-24.
• The Bruins have put together at least a five-game winning streak in 12-straight seasons dating back to 2012-13. Belmont entered the 2023 MVC Tournament on a 14-game winning streak.
• The Bruins have held opponents under 65 points 19 times this season and kept teams under 60 points on 13 occasions.
• Leading the Valley in both scoring (61.9 PPG) and field goal percentage (39.1) defense, Belmont limited opponents to 61.0 points per game in MVC action. The Bruins held their opponent under 60 points in nine of their 20 MVC games.
• Belmont 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 the Bruins' lopsided victory over the visiting Braves.
• Two of Belmont's seven losses have been against top-15 opponents – then fourth-ranked Stanford and 13th-ranked Ohio State.
• The Bruins continue to be ranked among the top 20 mid-major programs, checking in at No. 16 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25^®.

 
Bruins in Conference Tournaments

• Belmont has won six of its last eight conference tournaments.
• The Bruins are 20-2 in conference tournaments since 2016 and 6-1 in their last seven conference tournament championship games.
• Coach Brooks has lost only two conference tournament games, going 14-2 with four tournament titles. He is 4-1 in conference tournament championship games.

 
Last Time Out

• Belmont handed Illinois State only its second home loss of the season to close out the regular season last Saturday thanks to Tuti Jones' game-winning deep three-pointer from the right wing with only three seconds remaining. The Bruins got four clutch threes from the redshirt junior guard and senior guard Blair Schoenwald in the fourth quarter en route to a narrow, 72-69 road triumph.
• Jones went a perfect 7-for-7 from beyond the arc for the day and finished with a season-high 25 points. With her second three-pointer at the 6:09 mark of the opening quarter, Jones became Belmont's 35th 1,000-point scorer.
• The Bruins sunk a near season-high 14 threes on 25 attempts, setting a season-best three-point shooting mark (56 percent).
• Belmont outscored the Redbirds 44-29 between the second and third quarters after trailing by as much as 12 in the first half. The Bruins used a 21-14 second quarter to claw their way back into the game before taking an eight-point lead in the third quarter.
• Belmont assisted on 20 of its 28 baskets and committed only nine turnovers. Earning only two free throws for the 40 minutes of play, the Bruins held Illinois State to 38.1 percent shooting.
• Junior forward Kendal Cheesman was also lights out from distance, splashing in five triples and tallying 23 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
• Belmont went 9-for-15 from long range in the second half, including 4-for-7 in the pivotal fourth quarter.
• Jones added five boards, four assists and two steals. Miller scored 12 points, snagged six rebounds, dished out a game-best five assists and made a season-high three blocks. Schoenwald earned eight points, four boards and three assists.

 
Another Challenging Non-Conference

• Once again playing one of the most strenuous non-conference schedules in the nation, the Bruins went 7-4 with their four losses coming against power conference opponents. Three of Belmont's four losses were away from Nashville as the Bruins went 4-1 at the Curb Event Center.
• Six of Belmont's 11 non-conference opponents were from power conferences. Five of the Bruins' first six games of the season were against power conference programs.
• Belmont defeated two power conference teams during the non-conference portion of the schedule, routing Southeastern Conference mainstay Georgia 76-50 in the Bruins' 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.
• Belmont owns five victories over power conference teams in four seasons. In addition to the Lady Bulldogs and the Wildcats, the Bruins have earned wins against Oregon, Ole Miss and Auburn in recent years.
• Belmont 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
 
Tessa Miller – All-MVC Second Team
Miller has scored in double figures in 25 of 31 games this season, distributed at least three assists 19 times and surpassed 20 points in four of her last seven outings. She leads the team in scoring (14.4 PPG) and is averaging 6.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Remarkably, Miller is one of only two (Adrianna Smith, Maine) forwards or centers in the nation averaging at least 14 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. In Belmont's road victory at Murray State on Feb. 25, Miller scored a career-high 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting. With seven rebounds in the home win over the Racers on Feb. 2, Miller reached 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).
 
Tuti Jones – All-MVC Third Team, MVC All-Defensive Team
The final MVC Player of the Week of the season, Jones recently crossed the 1,000-point mark and is only two steals shy of breaking Belmont's NCAA era career steals record. She has accumulated 243 steals in a little over three seasons of play and is only one steal from tying Tara Montgomery (244, 1997-01). Jones is averaging 11.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, a team-best 4.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game this season and has dished out at least four assists in 22 of 31 games. Scoring a season-high 25 points on 7-for-7 three-point shooting to close out the regular season, Jones hit a deep game-winning three in the waning seconds at Illinois State last Saturday. In the second quarter on her second triple, Jones became the 35th Bruin to reach 1,000 career points.
 
Kendal Cheesman – All-MVC Third Team
Owning a team-high five double-doubles on the year, Cheesman is among the top 25 three-point shooters in the country. Shooting at a 41.8 percent (71-of-170) clip from beyond the arc this season, Cheesman has scored in double figures 18 times and recorded multiple blocks on 12 occasions. She is averaging 11.9 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per contest. In her first career start, Cheesman erupted for a career-high 28 points on 9-for-15 shooting from outside and collected nine boards as Belmont routed Georgia by 26 at home. Her nine threes 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. Cheesman became the first player since at least 2009-10 to make nine triples and secure nine rebounds against a power conference team. For her performance against the Lady Bulldogs, Cheesman was selected as Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Week.
 
Jailyn Banks – MVC Freshman of the Year, All-MVC Third Team, MVC All-Freshman Team
Named MVC Freshman of the Week six times during the regular season and chosen for the weekly conference award three-straight weeks in January, Banks reached double figures in 17 of her first 24 collegiate games. Second on the team in scoring (12.7 PPG), Banks is one of only nine freshmen in the nation averaging at least 12.5 points, 3.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. Banks tallied 23 points in the season opener at Southeastern Conference member Missouri, the fourth-most by any true freshman this season making her debut. Already etching her name in the Bruins' record book, Banks set the program record for made free throws in a game on Feb. 9 at Missouri State by going 17-for-20 at the foul line. She is averaging 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per outing to go along with her scoring.
 
Kilyn McGuff
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.
 
Emily La Chapell – MVC All-Newcomer Team
Making her Belmont debut in the MVC opener on Dec. 30 versus UIC, La Chapell has scored in double figures in nine of her first 20 games as a Bruin. In just her second game donning the Belmont jersey, La Chapell scored a career-high 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting against Illinois State. After spending her freshman year at the BIG EAST Conference's Marquette, La Chapell is averaging 8.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists for the Bruins. In three consecutive wins from Feb. 22-March 1, La Chapell reached double figures. She was a BIG EAST All-Freshman Team pick last year.
 
Among the Toughest Schedules in the Nation

• A total of 14 opponents on Belmont's 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.
• The Bruins' schedule also features six NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago (Georgia, Mississippi State, Stanford, Middle Tennessee, Ohio State, Drake).
• Belmont's non-conference strength of schedule is currently 39th in the nation, while the Bruins' 2023-24 schedule as a whole is among the top 101 most difficult out of 360 total teams.

 
Nothing but NET

• Belmont has faced eight opponents ranked inside the top 100 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), including No. 4 Stanford and No. 9 Ohio State. The Bruins are currently 74th in the NET as the second-highest ranked team from the MVC.
• The Flames enter Friday with the seventh-best NET ranking in the Valley, sitting at No. 158.

 
Storied Success

• Belmont won its sixth regular season conference championship in seven seasons last year. The Bruins have captured nine regular season conference titles in Belmont's NCAA era. Including the regular season and league tournament, the Bruins have won 16 combined conference championships in three different Division I conferences (MVC, OVC and Atlantic Sun Conference).
• Belmont is one of only 10 teams in the nation to have won 20 or more games for nine-straight seasons.
• The Bruins (11) are one of only five programs to have won more than 10 combined conference championships (regular season and tournament) over the last eight seasons. UConn (16), Florida Gulf Coast (13), South Carolina (11) and Princeton (10) are the others.
• Belmont is the only school in the nation to win 20-plus games for nine 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 eight of the last nine seasons.
• Belmont has won the 17th-most games in NCAA Division I women's basketball history (1,081).

 
Conference Dominance

• Since the 2012-13 season, the Bruins have compiled a remarkable 174-35 (.833) record in league play and won 12 combined championships, including regular season and tournament titles.
• Coach Brooks is a ridiculous 114-15 (.884) in conference action in seven seasons and has never lost more than three league games in a single season.
• Altogether, including conference tournaments, Belmont has gone 197-40 (.831) 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 97-15 (.866) in the two key months since 2016.
• Under coach Brooks, the Bruins have gone 77-12 (.865) 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 170-53 (.762) 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 128-17 (.883) against conference opponents, including conference tournament games. He ranks among the top 10 of active Division I head coaches in terms of winning percentage.

 
Bruins in the Valley

• Belmont captured a regular season championship in the Bruins' first year in the MVC 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 UIC

• Friday will be the fourth all-time meeting between the Bruins and UIC.
• Belmont won the first three matchups, including a 69-61 victory in Nashville on Dec. 30. The MVC opener was the Bruins' eighth consecutive conference opening win.
• The Flames were one of only two conference opponents Belmont saw just once during the regular season.
• The Bruins overcame a 36-33 halftime deficit against UIC in their December affair, outscoring the Flames 36-25 in the second half. Led by Jones' 17 points and five assists, Belmont got 16 points from both Banks and Miller. UIC Starting forward Keimari Rimmer led all scorers with 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting.
• The Bruins swept the Flames during MVC play last season, winning the two games by an average of 19 points.

 
About the Flames

• UIC (18-14, 10-10 MVC) narrowly got past 10th-seeded Valparaiso, 79-77, Thursday evening in the first round of the MVC Tournament. Trailing for over 30 minutes of the contest, the Flames outscored the Beacons 17-11 in the fourth quarter. UIC led for only the final seven-and-a-half minutes of play.
• The Flames' 22.6 free-throw attempts per game rank among the top 15 nationally.
• Junior 6-foot guard/forward Makiyah Williams, a Marquette transfer and All-MVC Third Team and MVC All-Newcomer Team pick, leads UIC in scoring (12.8 PPG).
• Graduate 5-foot-10 Keimari Rimmer, a DePaul transfer who is also a MVC All-Newcomer Team selection, is averaging 10.9 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per game.
• Senior 5-foot-10 guard Danyel Middleton is also averaging double-figure scoring (10.3 PPG), while junior 5-foot-7 guard Sandra Frau-Garcia leads the Flames in assists (3.9 APG) off the bench.

 
Up Next
If Belmont wins Friday evening, the Bruins will face either third-seeded Missouri State or fourth-seeded Murray State Saturday afternoon in the MVC Tournament semifinals at 4 p.m. The Lady Bears and the Racers tip off in the quarterfinals at 8 p.m. Friday. Saturday's Hoops in the Heartland semifinal will be broadcast on the The Valley on ESPN, available on ESPN+.
 
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