Bradley Gets Past Belmont, 51-47, Sunday Afternoon in Peoria, Illinois

PEORIA, Ill. – For the second consecutive game, the Belmont University women's basketball team was narrowly defeated in Missouri Valley Conference road action Sunday afternoon at Bradley. The Bruins (16-11, 12-4 MVC) were handed a 51-47 loss by the host Braves (19-9, 12-5 MVC) inside Renaissance Coliseum in Peoria, Illinois, after shooting 28 percent (14-of-50) from the field and committing 17 turnovers.
 
Belmont's 14 made field goals represent the fewest in a game this season.
 
Despite their challenging afternoon, the Bruins had a chance to tie or take the lead multiple times with a little under 90 seconds to go and trailing by only two at 49-47. However, three-pointers by sophomore guard Sanaa Tripp and graduate guard Tuti Jones wouldn't fall and a jumper by junior guard Jailyn Banks was blocked in the final 10 seconds.
 
Banks had drawn a foul on a drive to the hoop with 1:24 remaining and Belmont down 49-46 after coming up with a steal near midcourt. Sophomore guard Quinn Eubank snagged an offensive rebound on Banks' second foul shot miss, giving the Bruins another chance.
 
The Braves' Tamia Perryman missed a layup with 40 seconds left, setting up Belmont once more for a tying or go-ahead bucket. Junior center KK Brodie collected the defensive rebound, and Jones had a clean look from outside with 21 seconds on the clock. Jones boarded her own miss before Banks pulled up in the lane for her would-be tying jumper.
 
Bradley took a timeout following Amy O'Hara's block and a rebound by Maya Foz, allowing the Bruins to set up their defense. Belmont was unable to get a steal on the Braves' inbounds and Bradley's Kaylen Nelson went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line, keeping the door slightly ajar at 50-47 with four seconds remaining.
 
With just over a second to go Banks attempted a game-tying three from in front of the Bruins' bench, but her shot came up short. Following a lengthy officials' review for possession and time remaining, the ball was awarded to the Braves with only 0.7 seconds showing.
 
Bradley's Perryman connected on her second free throw to seal the game with 0.4 seconds left.
 
The Braves led by as much as nine at 41-32 with just under seven minutes to go.
 
Bradley scored 15 points off Belmont's offensive miscues and outscored the Bruins 30-18 in the paint.
 
Belmont outworked the Braves 39-35 on the glass and tallied 10 points following 10 offensive boards. For the 12th time this season, the Bruins recorded at least 12 steals, finishing with 13 takeaways.
 
Getting off to a 9-0 start, Belmont kept Bradley from scoring for the first 4:06 of the game. After holding the Braves to 3-for-14 (21.4 percent) in the opening quarter, the Bruins led 13-6.

CORNER POCKET @acestrickland #ItsBruinTime | #Splashville pic.twitter.com/qvj5wqPJDG

— Belmont WBasketball (@BelmontWBB) February 22, 2026

The second quarter, however, proved to be problematic for Belmont. Bradley went on an 11-0 scoring run over the first six minutes of the quarter. Keeping the Bruins scoreless from the 1:48 mark of the first stanza to the 3:49 mark of the second frame, a nearly eight-minute stretch of play, the Braves built a 17-13 lead.
 
Graduate guard Avery Strickland finally ended the scoring drought with a layup, but it would be Belmont's lone basket in the quarter. The Bruins went 1-for-13 in the second period, including 0-for-5 from deep, but only trailed by six at 24-18 heading into halftime.
 
Outscoring Belmont 18-5, Bradley shot 53.3 percent (8-of-15) in the second quarter.
 
The Bruins' first half (18) and second quarter (5) are the second-lowest scoring half and quarter for Belmont this season.
 
Going 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) from long range, the Bruins shot 23.1 percent (6-fo-26) across the first 20 minutes.
 
Belmont came out determined in the second half, holding the Braves without a field goal for the first four-and-a-half minutes. A pair of free throws from Banks gave the Bruins the lead once again at 25-24 three-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter. The 7-0 run to start the half would be Belmont's last lead as Bradley's Foz put the home team back in front 27-25.
 
The Braves outscored the Bruins 11-4 over the closing six minutes of the third quarter, taking a 35-29 lead into the deciding fourth. The two teams combined to go 0-for-6 from distance in the third and both shot under 40 percent with 11 points apiece.
 
Trailing 41-32, Belmont scored six-straight points to claw its way back within a possession on a three-pointer from Tripp with just under six minutes to go. Down eight at 46-38 with just under five minutes left, the Bruins once again scored six points in a row. A tip-in by Banks on her own shot, two Eubank free throws and a Banks jumper got Belmont within two at 46-44 with 3:09 remaining.
 
Brodie made a block on Bradley's next trip down the court, but the Bruins couldn't corral the rebound. After the Braves' Nelson went 1-for-2 at the foul line, Strickland put in two free throws to make it a one-point game at 47-46 with 2:15 to play.
 
Bradley's Nelson hit a step-back jumper to push the Braves' lead to 49-46 with two minutes to go, setting up the final sequence of events.
 
Belmont outscored Bradley 18-16 in the fourth quarter, shooting 35.7 percent (5-fo-14) and connecting on three of its eight three-point attempts (37.5 percent). The Braves shot 45.5 percent (5-of-11) in the final quarter but went 5-for-9 at the free-throw line.
 
The Bruins outscored Bradley 29-27 in the second half.
 
The Braves finished 39.2 percent (20-of-51) from the field. Belmont was 5-for-21 (23.8 percent) from outside the arc, while Bradley went 2-for-13 (15.4 percent) from three-point range.
 
Banks paced the Bruins with 11 points, nine of which she scored in the second half, and Strickland also reached double figures with 10 points. Eubank collected a game-high nine rebounds and scored nine points, while Jones secured eight boards and earned a game-best five steals.
 
Nelson finished with a game-high 19 points and team-best eight rebounds for the Braves. Bradley also got 11 points and six boards from freshman Foz.
 
Of Note

• The loss is Belmont's first against the Braves (5-1).
• The Bruins have lost only 21 games in the key months of February and March under ninth-year head coach Bart Brooks' direction (96-21, .821).
• Belmont is 201-44 (.820) in conference play since the 2012-13 season.
• Banks has scored in double figures in 18 of the 19 games she has played in this season.
• Strickland has scored in double figures in all but four games in MVC play.

Up Next
The Bruins return to the Music City next weekend and host Indiana State Saturday for senior day. Tipoff from the Curb Event Center is slated for 4 p.m. The MVC home matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Claire Hyde, Jones, Emily La Chapell and Strickland being recognized prior to the game.
 
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.