Women’s Basketball Looks to Continue Winning Streak Sunday Afternoon Versus Northern Iowa

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Wrapping up its second four-game homestand in nine games, the Belmont University women's basketball team welcomes Northern Iowa to the Curb Event Center Sunday afternoon. Tipoff from the Music City is set for 2 p.m.
 
The Missouri Valley Conference matinee matchup will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN, available on ESPN+, with Dr. Rich Tiner (play-by-play) and former Bruin forward Conley Chinn Merritt ('22) on the call. The game can also be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio, available online. Live stats of the contest can be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
Belmont jersey flags will be given away to all fans in attendance, while supplies last, beginning one hour prior to tipoff. Following the game, the Bruins will be available to sign autographs in the Maddox Grand Atrium of the Curb.
 
What's Bruin

• Winners of four straight, Belmont (9-7, 5-0 MVC) is off to a 5-0 start in MVC play for just the second time (2023-24) since joining the Valley four seasons ago.
• The Bruins earned a hard-fought 78-69 victory over Drake Friday night in the Curb with a strong second half of play.
• Belmont went 3-0 last week in the first full week of MVC play, defeating Southern Illinois 68-56 on the road before claiming home wins over Bradley (78-57) and Illinois State (75-68) last weekend.
• The Bruins began MVC play with a 77-67 home victory over the University of Evansville on Dec. 17. It was Belmont's 10th-straight conference opening win.
• The Bruins played four of their six December games in the Curb and Belmont's first four games of the new year are in Nashville.
• The Bruins are 6-3 at home this season.
• Sophomore forward Hilary Fuller has reached at least 17 points in six of her last eight outings, including five of her last six. She leads Belmont with 13 double-figure scoring games on the season.
• Junior guard Jailyn Banks has scored in double figures in all but one game she has played this season (10-of-11). She is only 26 points away from becoming the Bruins' 37th 1,000-point scorer.
• Junior center KK Brodie, who scored a season-high 12 points in consecutive games in Belmont's two wins last weekend, is 13-for-15 over her last three outings.
• The Bruins faced three top-15 ranked Southeastern Conference opponents during non-conference play. Belmont hosted 15th-ranked Kentucky on Dec. 14 after challenging 12th-ranked Tennessee on Nov. 13 in Knoxville and sixth-ranked Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma, in its season opener.
• Ninth-year program leader Bart Brooks secured his 200th career victory with the Bruins' 72-66 road win at Dayton on Nov. 16. He reached the career milestone in only 270 games as a head coach.
• Belmont went on a historic national postseason run in the 2025 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), where it reached the championship game. It was the Bruins' deepest national postseason run in any sport.
• For the second time in four seasons, Belmont was picked as the preseason favorite to win the MVC. The Bruins captured a regular season championship in their first season in the Valley in 2022-23.
• Including last season, Belmont has reached the MVC Tournament championship game two of the last three years.
• The Bruins went 26-13 last season and 15-5 in the MVC, tying for third in the final league standings.
• Belmont's three returning starters – graduate guard Tuti Jones, Banks and senior guard Emily La Chapell – in addition to graduate transfer guard Avery Strickland (Tennessee/Pittsburgh), were named players to watch by the MVC.
• Jones, Banks and La Chapell were the only three players to start all 39 games for the Bruins last season.
• Belmont returned eight total letter winners and welcomed seven newcomers over the summer, including five freshmen – guard Rylie Beers (Littleton, Colo.), guard Kate McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis.), forward Dacarra Ward (Memphis, Tenn.), forward Leah West (Greensburg, Ind.) and guard Tatum Woodson (Minnetonka, Minn.) – and two transfers – Strickland and Brodie (Pepperdine).

Last Time Out

• Forcing 26 turnovers, which led to 36 points, the Bruins put together a gritty finish Friday against the Bulldogs. Belmont outscored Drake 22-15 in the pivotal fourth quarter and 43-37 in the second half on 59.3 percent (16-of-27) shooting.
• Redshirt junior guard Claire Hyde came up with a clutch three-pointer with 1:12 left that put the Bruins up eight at 74-66, essentially clinching the win.
• Belmont ended the game on a 9-3 run in the closing two-and-a-half minutes and got key late-game contributions from Strickland and sophomore guard Sanaa Tripp.
• Jones knocked down four free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal the triumph and the Bruins' defense forced multiple turnovers in the last 2:10.
• Belmont made a season-high 10 blocks and came up with 15 steals, the second-most in any game this season. It marked the ninth time this season the Bruins have recorded at least 10 steals.
• The 10 blocks were the most in a game for Belmont since the Bruins' 56-54 home win over Chattanooga in the 2022-23 season opener on Nov. 9, 2022.
• Belmont was able to overcome a minus-26 (49-23) rebounding deficit as the Bulldogs collected 23 offensive boards.
• The Bruins shot a blistering 66.7 percent (8-of-12) in the all-important fourth quarter and were 2-for-4 from deep after holding Drake to 35.5 percent (11-of-31) shooting in the first half, including 3-for-11 (27.3 percent) from beyond the arc.
• Four different Belmont players scored in double figures led by Jones' 21 points, 11 of which came in the fourth. Both Strickland and Banks scored 13 points, while Fuller tallied 10 points.
• Banks also distributed a team-high four assists and sophomore guard Quinn Eubank provided a team-best seven rebounds and a career-high four steals.
• Brodie made a career-high tying five blocks.
• Jones joined Banks, Fuller and Strickland as players with multiple 20-point games this season.

Player of the Week

• Jones was named both MVC and Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 8-14 after scoring a season-high 24 points on 6-for-11 shooting, including making 4-for-9 from outside, grabbing a season-best 10 rebounds, dishing out a team-high five assists, and coming up with a game-high three steals against top-15 ranked Kentucky on Dec. 14. She was also a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line.
• Jones' 24-point outing against the nationally-ranked Wildcats was her 80th career double-figure scoring game and she registered her fourth career double-double.

1,500 Points and All-Tournament Team Honors

• Jones reached 1,500 career points with her 19-point performance versus now 19th-ranked Ohio State on Nov. 24 in Nassau, Bahamas. She is only the 11th Bruin to reach 1,500 career points.
• Belmont's NCAA era leader in steals (397) and all-time leader in both games started (152) and games played (153), Jones needs just eight more steals to set the Bruins' all-time steals record.
• Across all divisions of NCAA basketball, Jones is the nation's current leader in games played and is third among active career steals leaders.
• After averaging 17.5 points on 57.9 percent (11-of-19) shooting, including going 8-for-13 (61.5 percent) from distance, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.5 assists in Belmont's two games in the Bahamas, Jones was named to the 2025 Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship Goombay Division All-Tournament Team.

A Winning Program

• In their 58th season as a program, the Bruins have claimed the 15th-most victories in NCAA Division I women's basketball (1,118).
• Belmont entered 2025-26 with the 30th-best all-time winning percentage (.658).
• The Bruins are one of only nine teams in the nation to have won 20-plus games for 10-straight seasons. UConn, South Carolina, Baylor, Iowa, NC State, Indiana, South Dakota State and Florida Gulf Coast are the others.
• Belmont's 73.1 winning percentage (226-83) over the previous 10 seasons is the highest of any Division I women's basketball program in the state of Tennessee.
• Belmont is the only school in the nation to win 20-plus games for 10 consecutive seasons in both women's and men's basketball.

A Championship Program

• The Bruins (11) are one of only six programs in the country to have won 10 or more combined conference championships, regular season and tournament, over the last nine seasons. UConn (18), Florida Gulf Coast (16), South Carolina (13), South Dakota State (11) and Princeton (10) are the others.
• Since the 2012-13 season, Belmont has won 12 combined conference championships, including regular season and tournament titles.
• The Bruins have won 16 total conference championships – nine regular season and seven tournament titles – in Belmont's NCAA era.

National Postseason Success

• The Bruins have claimed seven national postseason wins in the last five years, including back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament round of 32 in 2021 and 2022.
• Belmont has earned a national postseason bid in 12 of the last 13 seasons, including six trips to the NCAA Tournament (2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016).
• The Bruins also reached the Big Dance in 2007 after winning the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.
• Belmont has participated in the last two WBITs and the 2023 WNIT.
• Playing into April for the first time in school history, the Bruins rattled off four wins in the 2025 WBIT. After taking out nearby Middle Tennessee in the opening round, Belmont overcame a 21-point deficit against Northern Arizona in the second round. The Bruins then doubled up top-seeded James Madison, who was an NCAA Tournament bubble team and receiving votes in both national polls, by 45 points on the road in the quarterfinals. In the WBIT semifinals inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Belmont ousted BIG EAST Conference mainstay Villanova.
• The Bruins' comeback against the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona in the WBIT second round last March tied for the largest deficit overcome to win any NCAA postseason game in Division I women's basketball history.

Conference Dominance

• Belmont has finished in the top three of its conference in 13 of the last 14 seasons, including each of the last 10.
• The Bruins have played in a conference tournament championship game eight of the last 10 years.
• Since the 2012-13 season, Belmont has compiled a remarkable 194-40 (.829) record in conference play.
• Altogether, including conference tournaments, the Bruins have gone 220-47 (.824) against league opponents across the last 14 seasons.

Head Coach Bart Brooks

• For the third-straight year, coach Brooks was named to the preseason watch list for the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats.
• In nine seasons, coach Brooks has compiled a remarkable 207-75 record. His 73.4 winning percentage ranks among the top 20 of active head coaches in Division I women's basketball.
• No other current Division I head coach with eight seasons or fewer under their belt has won more games than coach Brooks.
• Coach Brooks is a ridiculous 134-20 (.870) in conference action with nine combined conference championships, including regular season and tournament titles. He has never lost more than five league games in any given season and has finished no worse than third across two different conferences.
• Including conference tournament games, coach Brooks is an astonishing 151-24 (.863) against conference opponents.
• Over the last eight postseasons, coach Brooks has gone 24-11 (.686).
• In the key months of February and March under coach Brooks' direction, Belmont is 92-19 (.829).
• Coach Brooks was the third-fastest head coach to 100 career victories in Division I women's basketball history (Leon Barmore, Louisiana Tech and Karl Smesko, Florida Gulf Coast).

Challenging the Nation's Best

• Coach Brooks and the Bruins annually play one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation and this season was no different.
• Six of Belmont's 11 non-conference opponents were receiving votes in either or both the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 and USA TODAY Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches Poll. The Bruins took on a trio of top-15 teams, including hosting No. 15/15 Kentucky on Dec. 14 after traveling to both No. 6/7 Oklahoma (Nov. 3) and No. 12/12 Tennessee (Nov. 13). In addition to hosting Duke (Dec. 20), who was receiving 13 votes in the coaches poll, and receiving-votes Princeton (Dec. 6), Belmont went up against receiving-votes Ohio State in the Bahamas (Nov. 24).
• With Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio State, Princeton, Kentucky and Duke, the Bruins faced six NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago during their non-conference slate. Of those, five reached at least the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament and three made it to the Sweet 16 with the Blue Devils continuing on to the Elite Eight.

Mid-Major Rankings

• Belmont moved back into the mid-major rankings this week and checks in at No. 23 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.

At the Curb

• The Bruins are 120-20 (.857) at home since the start of the 2015-16 season.
• Belmont has a home winning percentage of .749 (218-73) inside the Curb since the arena opened prior to the 2003-04 season.
• Under coach Brooks, the Bruins are an exceptional 96-19 (.835) at the Curb.
• In conference play, Belmont has been even more dominant at home, going 104-14 (.881) since 2012. In his first nine seasons, coach Brooks has lost only eight league games at the Curb with a 70-8 (.897) record.
• For four-straight seasons and nine of the last 10, the Bruins have won 10 or more games at the Curb.

Versus Northern Iowa

• Sunday afternoon will be the ninth all-time meeting between Belmont and the Panthers.
• The Bruins have won seven of the first eight matchups in the series, including two of last season's three meetings.
• Third-seeded Belmont ousted sixth-seeded Northern Iowa 64-46 in the quarterfinals of the 2025 MVC Tournament in Evansville, Indiana. Limiting the Panthers to only six points in both the second and fourth quarters, the Bruins held Northern Iowa to just 16 made field goals and 26.2 percent (16-of-61) shooting. Banks led all scorers with 17 points, while senior forward Kendal Cheesman posted a double-double of 11 points and a career-high 18 rebounds.
• Belmont's only loss to the Panthers was Northern Iowa's last trip to the Curb on Feb. 13 last year. The Panthers earned a 73-61 win after outscoring the Bruins 44-31 in the second half.
• Last January, Belmont defeated Northern Iowa 74-60 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
• The second-seeded Bruins also eliminated the third-seeded Panthers in the semifinals of the 2023 MVC Tournament in Moline, Illinois. Defeating Northern Iowa 69-62, Belmont advanced to its first MVC Tournament championship game in its inaugural Hoops in the Heartland tournament.

About the Panthers

• The Panthers (8-7, 4-1 MVC) surrendered a 19-point first-half lead at Murray State Friday evening, falling 75-71 for their first MVC loss of the season.
• Northern Iowa has claimed Valley wins over Southern Illinois (91-64), the University of Illinois Chicago (75-74) and Valparaiso (86-52) on the road, and Illinois State (68-54) in its MVC opener on Dec. 3.
• The Panthers went 4-6 in non-conference action, highlighted by wins over the BIG EAST Conference's Creighton (51-50), Northern Arizona (79-60), Toledo (68-52) and St. Thomas (58-40). Northern Iowa also fell by just two points (59-57) at home against mid-major perennial power South Dakota State.
• Last season, the Panthers went 17-17 overall and 11-9 in the Valley, finishing sixth in the final conference standings and receiving an at-large bid to the WBIT where they fell in the opening round at semifinalist Florida.
• Northern Iowa is led by 19th-year head coach Tanya Warren, a three-time MVC Coach of the Year and the winningest all-time coach in the Valley with 347 career victories.
• Four Panthers are averaging over 9.5 points per game led by senior 6-foot forward Ryley Goebel, who is averaging 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.0 steals per outing.
• Junior 5-foot-8 guard Jenna Twedt, a junior college transfer, is averaging 10.7 points per contest.
• Fellow junior 5-foot-8 guard Bri Robinson leads the team in assists (2.9 APG) and is averaging 9.9 points per game.
• Senior 5-foot-5 guard Taryn Wharton is averaging 9.6 points per outing, while sophomore 6-foot-2 forward Elise Jaeger is second in the Valley in rebounding (10.1 RPG).

Up Next
The Bruins are on the road next week, traveling to Indiana State Thursday evening before heading to rival Murray State next Sunday, Jan. 18. Tipoff Thursday from the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Indiana, is slated for 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET. Both MVC road games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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 and single-game tickets for the 2025-26 season are also on sale.
 
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.