INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – For the first time in school history, the Belmont University women's basketball team will play for a national postseason championship Wednesday following a 66-57 victory over the BIG EAST Conference's Villanova Monday afternoon inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Highlighted by a career-high performance from sophomore guard
Jailyn Banks, the third-seeded Bruins (26-12) overcame a 31-29 halftime deficit with a willful 37-26 second half in the 2025 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) semifinals.
With the win, Belmont continues its deepest national postseason run in any sport.
Banks scored a career-best 25 points and the Bruins put together yet another masterful defensive performance this March. Completing the most-heralded month in college basketball an impressive 9-1, Belmont limited the Wildcats (21-15) to 34.3 percent (24-of-70) shooting, including 20.7 percent (6-of-29) from beyond the arc.
The Bruins turned up their pressure in the second half and kept Villanova under 30 percent (29.7 percent) from the field. Holding the Wildcats to only 11 made field goals in the half and 1-for-13 shooting from outside, Belmont forced seven Villanova turnovers which led to 11 Bruin points.
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Banks and graduate guard
Kendall Holmes combined for 25 second-half points and Belmont used a 22-15 third quarter to separate themselves from the Wildcats.
Despite facing a 46-37 deficit on the boards and being outscored 30-24 in the paint, the Bruins slowed down Villanova's offense and gave up only one fastbreak basket.
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After nine lead changes and four ties in the first half, Belmont led for 14:04 of the second half, including the entire fourth quarter.
Senior forward
Kendal Cheesman recorded her team-best 11th double-double of the season and 16th of her career with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds as four Bruins reached double figures for the 17th time in 2024-25. Holmes finished with 14 points, 10 of which came in the third quarter, and graduate guard
Tuti Jones provided 10 points, three boards and a pair of steals.
After the Wildcats began with back-to-back three-pointers to take an early 6-2 lead, Cheesman capitalized on a three of her own and Banks hit a pair of free throws to put Belmont in front 7-6. Holmes finished off an old-fashioned three-point play right before the midway point of the opening quarter to give the Bruins a two-point advantage at 10-8. However, Villanova's Lara Edmanson scored a layup to give the Wildcats a 15-12 lead with 3:17 to go in the first quarter. Villanova led by three twice more in the stanza, including at 20-17 to end the quarter following a triple by the Wildcats' Maddie Webber.
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Villanova made four first-quarter three-pointers.
Threes by Cheesman and Banks gave the lead back to Belmont three minutes into the second quarter. A Jones trey pushed the Bruins' lead out to four at 26-22 with five-and-a-half minutes left in the first half, but the Wildcats proceeded to go on a 9-0 run and took a 31-26 lead on a layup from Jaliyah Green. Banks had a strong take to the basket in the final minute of the half and completed a conventional three-point play to make it a two-point affair at 31-29 going into the locker room.
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Banks had 11 points at the half, but Belmont was hampered by 31.3 percent (10-for-32) shooting across the initial 20 minutes of play.
Holmes evened the score within the opening minute of the second half before Villanova scored five-straight points to go up 36-31 two minutes in. A layup by the Wildcats' Denae Carter kept it a five-point game at 38-33 after three minutes of second-half action.
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From there, the Bruins outscored Villanova 33-19 over the last 17 minutes of the contest.
Sparked by consecutive layups from Banks, Belmont went on a game-changing 15-3 scoring run to take a 48-41 lead with a little under three minutes left in the third quarter. Eight-straight points from Holmes highlighted the key run with her traditional three-point play and triple giving the Bruins their seven-point upper hand.
The Wildcats' Webber trimmed the deficit to two at 48-46 but an offensive rebound and putback by sophomore guard
Kensley Feltner and a Banks free throw ended the important quarter. Belmont took a promising 51-46 lead into the final frame after shooting 50 percent (9-of-18) in the third.
Banks sank a jumper in the first 10 seconds of the fourth quarter and the Bruins held Villanova scoreless for nearly the first three minutes. A Banks three made it an eight-point game at 56-48 four minutes into the fourth and Jones kept Belmont up by eight with five minutes to go.
It was Cheesman who provided perhaps the biggest shot of the afternoon, hitting a top-of-the-key three with 2:33 remaining to put the Bruins up nine at 63-54. Continuing its stout defense, Belmont didn't allow the Wildcats to score a basket until the closing seconds. A Holmes free throw gave the Bruins their first double-digit lead at 64-54 with only 59 seconds left. Free throws from Banks with 10 seconds to go extended Belmont's lead to 11 at 66-55 and Villanova's Carter scored on a layup before the Bruins dribbled out the clock.
Belmont held the Wildcats to 20.8 percent (5-of-24) shooting in the fourth quarter, including 0-for-10 from distance.
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Banks scored nine of the Bruins' 15 fourth-quarter points.
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Villanova scored 10 points off 16 offensive rebounds.
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Webber led the Wildcats with 18 points and Villanova got 10 points and a game-high five assists from Jasmine Bascoe.
Of Note
- Belmont picks up its second all-time win against a current BIG EAST Conference program.
- The Bruins improve to 1-1 versus the Wildcats.
- Banks' previous career high (23 points) was achieved against three different Southeastern Conference opponents away from home – at Kentucky, versus Mississippi State and at Missouri.
- Banks has scored in double figures in 27 of 38 games this season.
- The 38 games played are Belmont's most in a season in program history.
Up Next
The Bruins, who are the No. 3 seed in the upper right quadrant of the WBIT bracket, take on Minnesota, the No. 2 seed in the lower left quadrant, in the championship game Wednesday at 5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET inside Hinkle Fieldhouse. The WBIT title game will be aired nationally on ESPN2 and available on
ESPN+.
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