Cheesman, Banks and Jones Named All-Missouri Valley Conference

ST. LOUIS – Three Belmont University women's basketball starters have been selected to the 2024-25 All-Missouri Valley Conference Teams as announced by the league office Wednesday morning. Senior forward Kendal Cheesman has been named All-MVC First Team, while sophomore guard Jailyn Banks and graduate guard Tuti Jones have both been chosen to the All-MVC Third Team. Jones has also earned a spot on the MVC All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive year.
 
Voted upon by the Valley's head coaches, media members and women's basketball communications directors, the all-conference teams and end-of-the-season individual superlatives represent the top players across the MVC in 2024-25.
 
Cheesman becomes the third Bruin to be tabbed All-MVC First Team after earning All-MVC Third Team honors last season. The 2023-24 MVC Freshman of the Year, Banks was also a member of the All-MVC Third Team last season and, naturally, was an MVC All-Freshman Team selection. One of the most accomplished players in Belmont's lengthy program history, Jones picks up her third all-conference team accolade after being placed on the All-MVC Third Team last year. The 2021-22 Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Jones was an All-OVC First Team pick as a sophomore.
 
Improving her game every season of her collegiate career, Cheesman has taken on an even larger role this year and was one of the best players throughout MVC play. The only player in the nation averaging over 12.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 made three-pointers per game while shooting at least 38 percent from behind the arc, Cheesman nearly averaged a double-double in Valley action with 14.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per outing. Cheesman shot 40.9 percent (45-of-110) from deep in MVC play and is averaging 12.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game on the season. She also leads the team in blocks (26).
 
A native of Tampa, Florida (H.B. Plant HS), Cheesman has recorded a team-best nine double-doubles this season and 14 over the last two seasons. Named MVC Player of the Week on Feb. 10, Cheesman scored a career-high 30 points at home versus Northern Iowa (Feb. 13) with a career-best 12 made field goals and brought down a career-high 16 rebounds on the road at Illinois State (Feb. 20). Cheesman has scored in double figures in 21 of 31 games this season.
 
Reaching double figures in a team-best 22 of 31 games this season, Banks leads the Bruins in scoring (12.4 PPG) and assists (3.3 APG). Averaging 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, Banks put together her first two career double-doubles this season against the Panthers of Northern Iowa. She nearly had a triple-double in Belmont's win in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Jan. 18 with 16 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high eight assists. At home versus the Panthers on Feb. 13, Banks notched 10 points and snagged a career-high 11 boards. The Spring Hill, Tennessee (Middle Tennessee Christian School), native has posted four 20-point games this season. In both of the Bruins' last two games of non-conference play against Southeastern Conference opponents away from home (receiving-votes Mississippi State and 16th-ranked Kentucky), Banks scored a career-high 23 points.
 
In her fifth year at Belmont and fourth full season, Jones shot extremely well in MVC play while averaging 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 steals. Across the 20 league games, Jones shot 51.5 percent (85-of-165) from the field and a team-best 44 percent (40-of-91) from distance.
 
Selected to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team for a second consecutive year, Jones is among the top 60 players in the nation with 70 steals and ranks third in the Valley with 2.3 steals per contest. She has scored in double figures in 16 games and tallied at least four steals seven times. In the thrilling Feb. 1 home win over MVC rival Murray State, Jones registered a double-double with a career-high tying 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting and 10 rebounds.
 
A native of Troy, Alabama (Charles Henderson HS), Jones has made 128 career starts and played in 129 games, just 11 games and five starts from the most ever by a Bruin in Belmont's NCAA era. Already the Bruins' NCAA era steals leader (329), Jones moved into second place all-time in program history in the MVC-opening home win over Bradley (Dec. 29). With four steals in the road win at Drake (Jan. 16), Jones reached 300 career steals. She is one of just 24 active players across all NCAA divisions and one of only 12 at the Division I level with 300 career steals.
 
Belmont earned the No. 3 seed for this week's Credit Union 1 MVC Tournament held at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. The Bruins will take on either sixth-seeded Northern Iowa or 11th-seeded Indiana State in the last quarterfinal Friday night at 8:30 p.m.
 
Belmont has secured a top-three conference finish 13 of the last 14 seasons, including each of the last 10 seasons.
 
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