PEORIA, Ill. – Facing a nine-point deficit early in the fourth quarter, the Belmont University women's basketball team came back to defeat Bradley University 77-72 on the road Thursday evening at Renaissance Coliseum in Peoria, Illinois. The Bruins (23-7, 16-3 MVC) outscored the host Braves (6-24, 2-17 MVC) 22-10 in the pivotal fourth quarter to earn their fifth-straight victory and 10th win of the season away from the Music City.
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With the triumph, Belmont clinches the No. 2 seed for the upcoming 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, which is held inside Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline, Illinois, Thursday-Sunday, March 14-17. The top four seeds all receive a bye to the quarterfinals, which are played on Friday, March 15.
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The Bruins scored 42 points in the second half on 48.1 percent (13-of-27) shooting behind inspired play from junior forward
Tessa Miller and redshirt junior guard
Tuti Jones. Miller scored 17 of her game-best 24 points in the second half, while Jones tallied eight points, came up with three steals and sunk four free throws in the final 20 seconds.
Leading for only 9:19 of play, Belmont trailed at the end of each of the first three quarters.
Down by five at 66-61 with 5:15 remaining, the Bruins put together a ferocious 10-2 scoring run that put Belmont in front with less than two minutes to go. A three-pointer from junior guard
Kilyn McGuff gave the Bruins a 71-68 lead and a much-needed sigh of relief after playing from behind for most of the evening.
Belmont led the rest of the way following McGuff's three with 1:53 left.
The Bruins assisted on 18 of their 28 baskets, came up with nine steals and made six blocks while committing just 10 turnovers. Belmont outscored Bradley 34-26 in the paint and got 16 points off 13 Brave turnovers.
Junior forward
Kendal Cheesman scored the Bruins' first six points and Belmont led 8-2 within the first two-and-a-half minutes. Bradley then went on a 9-3 run to even the score at 11 before a McGuff layup on an inbound play gave the Bruins a two-point lead midway through the opening quarter. However, the Braves dominated the rest of the quarter with a 14-3 run putting the home team up 25-16 after the first 10 minutes of action.
Bradley began 3-for-4 from deep and shot 52.9 percent (9-of-17) in the first quarter.
Trailing 30-21, Belmont held the Braves scoreless for nearly five minutes of play in the second quarter. Capping a 10-0 Bruin run, Jones connected on a triple to push Belmont in front by one with three minutes left in the half. Freshman guard
Kensley Feltner knotted the score at 35 on a layup with 1:24 before the break, but Bradley starting guard Halli Poock put the Braves up 37-35 heading into halftime.
The Bruins outscored Bradley 19-12 in the second quarter paced by eight points from Jones. Belmont held the Braves to 35.7 percent (5-of-14) shooting in the second period.
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Bradley went 5-for-7 from long range in the first half.
Cheesman hit a three a little over two-and-a-half minutes into the second half, putting the Bruins back on top at 43-42. Unfortunately, it would be Belmont's last lead of the third quarter. The Braves' Isis Fitch knocked down a three-pointer to give Bradley a six-point, 54-48 lead at the 3:45 mark of the third. Poock then closed the quarter with triple, extending the Braves' advantage to 62-55.
Despite the Bruins shooting 50 percent (7-of-14) in the third stanza, Bradley was lights out. The Braves shot a blistering 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from the field and were 4-for-5 from distance.
After Fitch gave Bradley a 64-55 lead early in the fourth quarter, Belmont put together an impressive 13-2 run to take the lead with three minutes remaining. Allowing only one Brave field goal for nearly seven-and-a-half minutes of action, Miller evened the score at 66 with a layup. Less than 30 seconds later, Jones scored to make it 68-66 Bruins.
A layup by Bradley's Fitch tied things up for the last time at 68, before McGuff's three-point basket gave Belmont a lead it would not relinquish. Miller dropped in another layup with 20 seconds to go to keep the Bruins in front by three at 73-70. Jones' four made foul shots in the waning seconds sealed the victory.
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Miller scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and Belmont went 8-for-11 at the free-throw line.
The Bruins held a slim 34-33 margin on the glass for the game.
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The Braves ended the evening 9-for-19 (47.4 percent) from beyond the arc.
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Miller finished 8-for-11 from the floor and 8-for-11 at the charity stripe. She added six boards, a pair of assists and a block. Cheesman totaled 18 points on 8-for-15 shooting, a game-high tying seven rebounds, three assists and a block. Jones notched 16 points, four steals, four assists and three boards. McGuff also snagged seven rebounds and scored eight.
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Fitch led Bradley with 19 points and the Braves got 17 points and a game-high six assists from Poock. Bradley starting guard Reagan Barkema scored 14 and fellow starting guard Ruba Abo Hashesh poured in 12 points.
Of Note
- Belmont improves to 3-0 all-time versus the Braves.
- The Bruins have put together three five-game winning streaks this season.
- Belmont earns its sixth regular season sweep (Evansville, Indiana State, Murray State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois).
- Bradley joins Drake, Northern Iowa, Missouri State, No. 2 Stanford, No. 4 Ohio State and Missouri as the only teams who have been able to score more than 70 points against the Bruins this season.
- Miller has scored 24 points in consecutive outings and has surpassed 20 points in four of her last six games. She has reached double figures in 24 of 30 games this season.
- Jones (994 points) is only six points away from becoming Belmont's 35th 1,000-point scorer.
- With 241 career steals, Jones needs just three more to tie the Bruins' NCAA era steals record (244).
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Up Next
Belmont closes out the regular season late Saturday afternoon at Illinois State in Normal, Illinois. Tipoff from CEFCU Arena is scheduled for 4 p.m. The regular season finale will be broadcast on
ESPN+.
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