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Jailyn_Banks_at_Tennessee2025
Ben Denton
58
Belmont BEL 1-2,0-0 MVC
68
Winner Tennessee UT 3-1,0-0 SEC
Belmont BEL
1-2,0-0 MVC
58
Final
68
Tennessee UT
3-1,0-0 SEC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Belmont BEL 11 15 23 9 58
Tennessee UT 25 7 14 22 68

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

12th-Ranked Lady Vols Outlast Bruins Thursday Night in Knoxville, 68-58

Women’s Basketball Led Top-15 Tennessee by Five in the Fourth Quarter

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Despite a five-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Belmont University women's basketball team was unable to pull off the upset at 12th-ranked Tennessee Thursday night inside Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville. The Bruins (1-2) led 51-46 with nine-and-a-half minutes to go after trailing by 14 at the end of the first quarter, but the Lady Volunteers (3-1) closed the game on a 14-2 run for a 68-58 triumph.
 
In her return to her hometown and against her former team, graduate guard Avery Strickland scored a team-best 14 points on 4-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
 
Belmont held a two-point, 56-54 lead with just under five minutes remaining following a layup from junior guard Jailyn Banks and a free throw by graduate guard Tuti Jones. However, Tennessee proceeded to go on a 9-0 run in only 1:18 of play, pulling in front 63-56 with three minutes left. Trailing by nine at 41-32, the Bruins put together a 17-5 run at the end of the third quarter to take a 49-46 lead heading into the final period. Belmont also used a 9-0 run to get within four at 30-26 late in the second quarter after trailing 30-17 with 5:14 remaining in the first half.
 
The Bruins were unable to overcome 20 turnovers, which led to 23 points for the Lady Vols.
 
Tennessee also controlled the glass, outrebounding Belmont 48-36 and scoring 19 points off 23 offensive boards.
 
Both teams shot below 38 percent as the Bruins limited the Lady Vols to 20.6 percent (7-of-34) shooting from three-point range. Belmont held Tennessee to 34.8 percent (24-of-69) shooting overall.
 
After connecting on at least 10 three-pointers in each of their first two contests, the Bruins went 6-for-19 (31.6 percent) from deep.
 
Belmont kept the Lady Vols to their lowest point total of the season thus far.
 
A layup from junior guard Kensley Feltner and a pair of Banks free throws put the Bruins slightly in front 8-7 midway through the opening quarter. Outscoring Belmont 18-3 across the rest of the quarter, Tennessee built a 25-11 lead after the first 10 minutes of action.
 
Slowing down possessions, the Bruins clawed their way back into the game in the second quarter. Banks converted two foul shots to make it a four-point game and cap Belmont's 9-0 run.
 
The Bruins went into the locker room down only 32-26 after a 15-7 second quarter. Over the last seven-and-a-half minutes of the first half, Belmont outscored the Lady Vols 10-4.
 
Tennessee was held to 3-for-21 (14.3 percent) shooting in the second period and was 0-for-11 from outside.
 
Banks scored seven of the Bruins' 15 second-quarter points.
 
A three from Strickland nearly 90 seconds into the second half began her 11-point third quarter. After the Lady Vols' Jaida Civil put the home team up nine at 41-32 with 5:10 to go in the third, Belmont began its momentum-shifting scoring run with a floater from sophomore guard Quinn Eubank. Another Strikland trey got the Bruins within two at 46-44 with a minute left in the third quarter, and sophomore forward Hilary Fuller put Belmont in front with her lone three of the night. Fittingly, Strickland closed the quarter with a driving layup at the buzzer to give the Bruins a 49-46 lead. Belmont shot 50 percent in the third and went 5-for-6 from long range, outscoring Tennessee 23-14.
 
Fuller made a hook shot in the first 30 seconds of the fourth, putting the Bruins up 51-46. After the Lady Vols responded and evened the score at 51 with a three by Kaniya Boyd, Fuller sank two free throws to put Belmont back on top 53-51 with 8:06 left.
 
The Bruins were outpaced 17-5 over the last eight minutes of play.
 
Tennessee went 4-for-6 from three-point range in the final quarter and was 8-for-12 at the free-throw line as the Lady Vols outscored Belmont 22-9. The Bruins were 0-for-6 from deep in the fourth and made only three field goals on 27.3 percent (3-of-11) shooting.
 
Fuller accounted for six of Belmont's nine fourth-quarter points.
 
Banks finished with 13 points, a team-high six rebounds and a trio of assists. Fuller posted 10 points and five boards and had both a block and a steal.
 
In 29 minutes off the bench, Tennessee's Talaysia Cooper scored 22 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and came up with three steals. The Lady Vols also got 11 points from Janiah Barker and 10 points and eight boards from Zee Spearman. Of Note
  • The Bruins fall to 6-6 all-time versus Tennessee.
  • Belmont made its first appearance at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center since its 2022 NCAA Tournament run and near upset of the fourth-seeded Lady Vols in the round of 32.
  • Two of the Bruins' first three games of the season have been against top-15 opponents from the Southeastern Conference on the road. Belmont faced sixth-ranked Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma, in its season opener.
  • Both Banks and Fuller have scored in double figures in all three games this season.
Up Next
The Bruins travel to the University of Dayton for a Sunday matinee in Ohio. Tipoff from UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT/1 p.m. ET. The road game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Next Wednesday, Belmont hosts nearby rival Lipscomb for the 79th Battle of the Boulevard. Tipoff from the Curb Event Center in the Music City is slated for 5 p.m. The rivalry game is a doubleheader with men's basketball's Battle of the Boulevard following.
 
Season Tickets
Season tickets, which include all Belmont women's and men's basketball home games, are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting BelmontBruins.com/Tickets or calling 615-460-BALL. Flex pack plans for the 2025-26 season are also on sale and can be purchased here.
 
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.
 
#ItsBruinTime
 
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