Bruins Warm Up the Curb with 67-52 Victory Over the Flames Friday Afternoon

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With a few inches of snow on the ground outside and a winter storm warning, the Belmont University women's basketball team corralled the Flames of the University of Illinois Chicago and heated up the Curb Event Center Friday afternoon with a dominant 67-52 win in the Music City. Improving to 3-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play, the Bruins (8-7) scored 43 first-half points and built a 31-point lead in the third quarter before securing their third consecutive home victory.
 
Belmont held UIC (4-9, 1-3 MVC) to 37 percent (20-of-54) shooting while knocking down 10 three-pointers, assisting on 18 of 26 made field goals and posting a plus-17 rebounding margin.
 
For the eighth time this season, four different Bruins scored in double figures as senior forward Kendal Cheesman recorded her eighth career and third double-double of the season. Four Belmont players distributed at least three assists, and the Bruins matched their highest-scoring quarter of the season in the second stanza.
 
Shooting a blistering 68.8 percent (11-of-16), including going 4-for-5 from distance, Belmont torched the nets for 26 points in the second quarter.
 
The Bruins led for all but the scoreless opening 40 seconds.

Keeping the Flames scoreless for the first six-and-a-half minutes of the game, Belmont raced out to a 13-0 lead on a three from graduate guard Tuti Jones. After UIC got back within eight, sophomore guard Jailyn Banks capped the first quarter with a deep step-back jumper to make it 17-5.
 
Banks scored eight of her 12 points in the first quarter and the Bruins limited the Flames to 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) shooting in the opening 10 minutes of action.

An and-one opportunity for sophomore guard Kensley Feltner just over six minutes into the second quarter gave Belmont its first 20-point lead of the afternoon at 34-13. Moments later, junior guard Emily La Chapell sank a jumper to finish off a 23-8 Bruin scoring run with three minutes to go in the first half.
 
Belmont took a commanding 25-point, 43-18 lead into the half.

Cheesman (10) and La Chapell (9) combined for 19 of the Bruins' 26 second-quarter points on a combined 8-for-11 shooting, including the duo going a perfect 3-for-3 from deep.
 
Holding UIC to 28 percent (7-of-25) shooting in the first half, Belmont shot 48.6 percent (17-of-35) across the inaugural 20 minutes of play and was 5-for-10 from beyond the arc.
 
A little under four minutes into the second half, Banks gave the Bruins their first 30-point advantage at 48-18. Completing a 9-3 run to start the third quarter, La Chapell made it a 31-point affair at 52-21 with a layup midway through the period.

La Chapell knocked down a triple to keep Belmont in front by 30 at 57-27 with 2:40 to go in the third and the Bruins led 58-29 going into the final quarter.
 
Belmont continued to keep the Flames under 30 percent shooting in the third quarter with UIC going 4-for-14 (28.6 percent) from the field.

Despite the Bruins' comfortable lead, Belmont struggled offensively in the fourth quarter. A Jones three was the Bruins' first points of the fourth 4:32 seconds into the quarter as the Flames began on a 12-0 run to climb within 17 at 58-41.

Another La Chapell trey extended Belmont's lead back out to 23 at 64-41 with 4:43 remaining, but UIC would go on a 9-0 run to get within 14 in the final minute. Freshman guard Sanaa Tripp put one final exclamation point on the day with the Bruins' 10th three in the closing 20 seconds.
 
The Flames outscored Belmont 23-9 in the last quarter behind 60 percent (9-of-15) shooting. All three of the Bruins' fourth-quarter field goals were from long range, going 3-for-5 from outside but 3-for-11 (27.3 percent) from the floor.
 
Belmont was outscored 34-24 in the second half, despite the Bruins connecting on five of their 11 three-point attempts.

Over half of UIC's points came off its bench (28).
 
Belmont scored 17 points off a season-high tying 15 offensive rebounds.
 
Cheesman finished with a career-high tying 14 boards and 10 points, while La Chapell scored a game-high tying 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting and dished out four assists. Jones also tallied four assists and poured in 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting. La Chapell was 3-for-3 from distance.
 
Starting forward Makiyah Williams totaled 17 points for the Flames and UIC got 10 points from reserve forward Keimari Rimmer.

?? | Junior guard @emlachapell and HC @BartABrooks following the Bruins' 67-52 home victory over UIC Friday afternoon at ?????? ???????? ????#ItsBruinTime | #Splashville pic.twitter.com/58BvAiQn7f

— Belmont WBasketball (@BelmontWBB) January 11, 2025

Of Note

• The Bruins move to 5-0 all-time versus the Flames.
• Belmont improves to 94-12 (.887) in home conference games since 2012.
• Head coach Bart Brooks won his 60th conference game at the Curb. He is 60-6 (.909) in home conference games in eight seasons.
• Both Jones and Banks scored in double figures for the sixth-straight game.

Up Next
The Bruins host Valparaiso Sunday afternoon in Nashville. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the MVC home game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Next weekend, Belmont makes the trek to Iowa to take on Drake next Thursday and Northern Iowa next Sunday, Jan. 18.

Ticket Info
Season tickets are on sale for $199 per seat and include all women's and men's basketball home games.
 
View available seating and purchase your seats.
 
Flex pack plans for the 2024-25 season are also on sale and can be purchased here.
 
For more information, call 615-460-BALL or visit BelmontBruins.com/Tickets.
 
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.