Women’s Hoops Visits Illinois State Friday Night

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Riding a four-game winning streak, the Belmont University women's basketball team makes the trek to the Land of Lincoln this weekend to face Illinois State Friday night and Bradley Sunday afternoon. Tipoff between the Bruins and the Redbirds Friday from CEFCU Arena in Normal, Illinois, is slated for 6:30 p.m.
 
The Missouri Valley Conference road matchup will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN, available on ESPN+, with RC McBride (play-by-play) and Lexi Ayala (analyst) on the call. Dr. Rich Tiner will also provide live play-by-play of the action on Belmont Bruins Radio, available online. Live stats of the game can be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
What's Bruin

• Belmont (16-9, 12-2 MVC) routed visiting Valparaiso 77-37 last Sunday afternoon inside the Curb Event Center, winning its fourth straight with its largest margin of victory of the season.
• The Bruins also defeated the University of Illinois Chicago 71-56 last weekend at home after going 2-0 in Iowa to begin February. Belmont completed its first regular season sweep of Drake (Feb. 5) before remaining undefeated at Northern Iowa's McLeod Center in Cedar Falls (Feb. 7).
• The Bruins have allowed no more than 58 points in each of their last four games.
• Belmont leads the Valley in three important defensive categories – field goal percentage defense (.381), turnovers forced per game (17.4) and steals per game (10.0).
• The Bruins have won seven of their last eight true road games and are 7-3 in true road games this season.
• Belmont is 10-2 in 2026.
• The Bruins had their season-best six-game winning streak snapped at Murray State on Jan. 18. The Racers are the only team to defeat Belmont in the MVC this season, also getting past the Bruins 78-71 at the Curb on Jan. 31.
• Belmont began MVC play 7-0, its best conference start since 2017-18 when the Bruins completed their second consecutive undefeated season in the Ohio Valley Conference.
• With its 77-67 home win over Evansville on Dec. 17, Belmont secured its 10th-straight conference opening triumph.
• The Bruins played eight of nine games at home with two four-game homestands in December and January. Belmont had four of its six December games in the Curb and the Bruins' first four games of the new year were in the Music City.
• Junior guard Jailyn Banks has scored in double figures in all but one game she has played in this season (16-of-17). With a free throw at the four-minute mark of the third quarter against Murray State on Jan. 31, Banks reached her 1,000th career point to become Belmont's 37th 1,000-point scorer. In the road victory at Drake on Feb. 5, Banks scored a career-high 26 points, including tallying 22 in the second half on 7-for-12 shooting.
• Graduate guard Tuti Jones broke the Bruins' all-time steals record late in the third quarter in Belmont's win at Indiana State on Jan. 15. She recorded her 405th career steal to surpass Daree Pilkinton Merritt, who had compiled 404 steals from 1988-91.
• Sophomore forward Hilary Fuller leads the Bruins with 17 double-figure scoring games on the season and has posted at least 20 points four times in MVC play.
• Graduate guard Avery Strickland was named MVC Newcomer of the Week on Monday, Feb. 2 after scoring a career-high 23 points and snagging eight rebounds in Belmont's overtime road win over the Purple Aces on Jan. 29. Her four 20-point performances this season are tied with Fuller and Banks for the most of any Bruin.
• Belmont faced three top-15 ranked Southeastern Conference opponents during non-conference play. The Bruins 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 their season opener.
• Ninth-year program leader Bart Brooks secured his 200th career victory with Belmont's 72-66 road win at Dayton on Nov. 16. He reached the career milestone in only 270 games as a head coach.
• The Bruins went on a historic national postseason run in the 2025 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), where they reached the championship game. It was Belmont's deepest national postseason run in any sport.
• For the second time in four seasons, the Bruins were picked as the preseason favorites to win the MVC. Belmont captured a regular season championship in its first season in the Valley in 2022-23.
• Including last season, the Bruins have reached the MVC Tournament championship game two of the last three years.
• Belmont went 26-13 last season and 15-5 in the MVC, tying for third in the final league standings.
• The Bruins' three returning starters – Jones, Banks and senior guard Emily La Chapell – in addition to graduate transfer 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 Belmont last season.
• The Bruins 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 junior center KK Brodie (Pepperdine).

Last Time Out

• Belmont knocked down a season-high 14 three-pointers and held the Beacons to only 14 made field goals on 19.4 percent shooting (14-of-72).
• Keeping Valparaiso winless on the season, the Bruins collected 14 steals, their 10th game in 2025-26 with at least 12 takeaways.
• Belmont went 14-for-40 (35 percent) from beyond the arc, while limiting the Beacons to 6-for-33 (18.2 percent) from deep.
• For the first time since Jan. 30, 2016 – a double overtime win at Tennessee Tech, the Bruins recorded over 60 rebounds. Belmont outrebounded Valparaiso 61-48 and outscored the Beacons 24-12 in the paint.
• The Bruins assisted on 17 of their 27 baskets.
• Belmont got 28 of its 77 points off the bench as sophomore guard Sanaa Tripp was one of four Bruins to score in double figures. Registering her first career double-double, Tripp grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds and notched 10 points.
• Banks paced Belmont with 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting, six boards, three assists and three steals.
• Strickland nearly posted her first career double-double as well, finishing with 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting from distance and a career-best nine rebounds.
• Sophomore guard Quinn Eubank also posted 11 points and snagged seven boards.

 
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.

1,500 Points and All-Tournament Team Honors

• Jones reached 1,500 career points with her 19-point performance versus now 10th-ranked Ohio State on Nov. 24 in Nassau, Bahamas. She is only the 11th Bruin to reach 1,500 career points and is second in scoring in Belmont's NCAA era (1,696 points).
• The Bruins' all-time steals leader (420), Jones is also Belmont's all-time leader in both games started (161) and games played (162).
• 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 the Bruins' 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 its 58th season as a program, Belmont has claimed the 15th-most victories in NCAA Division I women's basketball (1,125).
• The Bruins entered 2025-26 with the 30th-best all-time winning percentage (.658).
• Belmont is 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.
• The Bruins' 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 201-42 (.827) record in conference play.
• Altogether, including conference tournaments, the Bruins have gone 227-49 (.822) 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 214-77 record. His 73.5 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 141-22 (.865) 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 158-26 (.859) 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 96-19 (.835).
• 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 is receiving the most votes (76) of teams not ranked in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.

 Versus Illinois State

• Friday night will be just the sixth all-time meeting between Belmont and the Redbirds with the Bruins holding a 3-2 edge in the series.
• Belmont defeated Illinois State 75-68 on Jan. 4 in Nashville, overcoming an eight-point halftime deficit with a 45-point second half. The Bruins outscored the Redbirds 45-30 in the second half behind 63 percent (17-of-27) shooting. Belmont scored 25 points off 21 Illinois State turnovers and outworked the Redbirds 40-30 in the paint despite being outrebounded 42-29.
• Fuller scored a career-high 27 points on a career-best 11-for-21 shooting and snatched a career-high tying nine rebounds in the Bruins' home win over Illinois State earlier this year. Banks also reached 20 points, scoring 15 in the second half and hitting a clutch deep three-pointer to break a 65-65 tie with 2:21 to go. Brodie, who finished with a season-high 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting, and Fuller combined for 23 of Belmont's first 24 points of the game.
• Exactly one year ago on Feb. 20, 2025, the Bruins were edged 66-63 by the Redbirds in Illinois. Belmont trailed by just two with 6.6 seconds remaining but couldn't get a tying jumper to fall.
• The Bruins are 1-1 at Illinois State after claiming a 62-59 win over the Redbirds in the final game of the 2023-24 regular season. Jones made a game-winning deep wing three with three seconds left.

About the Redbirds

• Illinois State (15-10, 9-5 MVC) has won five of its last six games and is coming off an 88-75 road win at Evansville last Sunday.
• Southern Illinois snapped a Redbird four-game winning streak last Friday with a convincing 84-60 win over Illinois State in Carbondale, Illinois.
• The Redbirds were picked to finish third in the MVC in the Valley's preseason predicted order of finish, but Illinois State received two first-place votes.
• Last season, the Redbirds went 24-13 overall and 14-6 in MVC play, finishing fifth in the final league standings before reaching the WNIT semifinals. Like Belmont, Illinois State played into April with its deep WNIT run.
• A trio of Redbirds are averaging double-figure scoring led by sophomore 6-foot-1 forward Doneelah Washington, who is putting up 16.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.7 blocks per outing.
• Redshirt senior 6-foot-1 forward Addison Martin is averaging 12.6 points per game to go along with 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.
• Sophomore 5-foot-8 guard Trista Fayta leads the Valley and ranks in the top 20 nationally in assists (5.8 APG) and is also averaging double-figure scoring (10.9 PPG).
• Freshman 5-foot-8 guard Kya Hurt is nearly averaging double digits (9.2 PPG), in addition to 2.8 assists per game.

Up Next
The Bruins make the short trip to Bradley for a Sunday afternoon showdown. Tipoff from Renaissance Coliseum in Peoria, Illinois, is scheduled for 2 p.m. The MVC road affair will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Tickets
Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale and can be purchased by visiting BelmontBruins.com/Tickets or calling 615-460-BALL.
 
Credit Union 1 MVC Tournament
The 2026 Credit Union 1 MVC Tournament will be held Thursday-Sunday, March 12-15 in Coralville, Iowa, at Xtream Arena. All-session tournament passes are on sale now and can be purchased here. Rooms are also available for booking at the official Belmont fan hotel – Drury Inn & Suites.
 
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.