Receiving-Votes Princeton Too Much for Bruins Saturday Afternoon at the Curb

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Suffering its first home loss of the season, the Belmont University women's basketball team was defeated 70-58 by the Ivy League's Princeton University Saturday afternoon inside the Curb Event Center. The shorthanded Bruins (4-5) put together a 19-7 scoring run late in the third quarter into the first minute of the fourth quarter to claw their way back within three, but the Tigers (9-1) closed the game on a 17-8 run.
 
Princeton is receiving six votes in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 and 10 votes in the USA TODAY Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches Poll. The Tigers entered Saturday ranked No. 32 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET).
 
The visiting Tigers led for all but a scoreless opening 25 seconds.
 
Belmont got off to a slow start, committing seven first-quarter turnovers and beginning 3-for-13 from the field, including 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. The Bruins trailed 15-8 after the opening quarter of play.
 
Three-pointers from graduate guard Tuti Jones and sophomore guard Quinn Eubank, along with an offensive rebound and putback by junior center KK Brodie, got Belmont within six three times in the second quarter before sophomore forward Hilary Fuller scored six consecutive Bruin points to close the half. Fuller's trio of baskets kept Belmont within striking distance going into halftime.

Hils with the tough 2?? pic.twitter.com/fM45lCM0FT

— Belmont WBasketball (@BelmontWBB) December 6, 2025

Going 4-for-6 from outside in the period, the Bruins outscored Princeton 23-21 in the second quarter but still faced a 36-31 deficit at the break.
 
Ten of Belmont's 15 turnovers on the day came in the first half.
 
The Tigers started the second half on a 10-0 run, keeping the Bruins scoreless through the opening 5:52 of the third quarter. Beginning the second half 4-for-4 from the floor, Princeton shot 53.3 percent (8-of-15) in the third and built it largest lead of the contest at the 5:28 mark of the quarter. The Tigers' Fadima Tall put Princeton up 15 at 46-31 on a putback layup before Belmont worked its way back into the game.

Redshirt junior guard Claire Hyde knocked down a triple to ignite the Bruins' 19-7 run with just over four minutes to go in the third. Back-to-back threes from Jones highlighted the end of the quarter, and free throws from sophomore guard Sanaa Tripp, who made her first career start, closed the stanza and got Belmont within eight at 53-45 heading into the fourth.

?? to ?? #Splashville for @tutijones3!

Bruins are on a 12-5 run pic.twitter.com/TqFuAepdjk

— Belmont WBasketball (@BelmontWBB) December 6, 2025

The Bruins shot only 26.7 percent (4-of-15) in the third, but three of their four field goals were from three-point range.
 
A Fuller layup and a Jones steal and three-pointer within the first minute of the final quarter got Belmont within a possession at 53-50. With seven-and-a-half minutes remaining, Fuller deflected a pass and finished the fastbreak on the other end to keep the Bruins within five at 57-52. However, from there the Tigers proceeded to go on a 13-4 run over the next five minutes of action.

.@tutijones3 gets the Bruins within a possession!! pic.twitter.com/GKh5Qs48gd

— Belmont WBasketball (@BelmontWBB) December 6, 2025

Princeton led by 11 at 65-54 at the fourth-quarter media timeout.
 
Fuller got one more layup to go with 3:23 left but it would be Belmont's last basket of the afternoon.
 
The Bruins were 1-for-6 from deep in the fourth quarter as the Tigers went 8-for-11 at the free-throw line in the period.
 
Jones and Fuller combined for 18 of Belmont's 27 second-half points with Jones going 3-for-4 from outside the arc.
 
Princeton outscored the Bruins 18-6 in fastbreak points and held a 43-36 edge on the glass, including a 14-11 advantage on offensive rebounds.
 
Fuller matched her career high with 17 points and Jones put together quite the stat line with 13 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists with only one turnover and one foul. Tripp finished with 12 points, five boards and three assists.
 
The Tigers were led by Olivia Hutcherson, who posted a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Princeton also got a double-double from Tall, who tallied 14 points and 11 boards, and 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting from Madison St. Rose.

Of Note

• Belmont drops to 1-2 all-time versus Ivy League schools, including a 1-1 mark against Brown, whom the Bruins defeated in their home opener.
• The Tigers were Belmont's fourth opponent receiving votes in both national polls already this season (receiving-votes Ohio State, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 6 Oklahoma).
• Jones has scored in double figures in three of her last four games.

Up Next
The Bruins will have an eight-day break from game action before hosting nationally-ranked Kentucky at the Curb next Sunday, Dec. 14. Tipoff from the Music City is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the marquee matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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.