Women’s Hoops Takes on Drake in Des Moines Thursday Evening

 
DES MOINES, Iowa – Playing five of six games on the road, the Belmont University women's basketball team travels to Drake University Thursday. Tipoff from the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa, is slated for 6 p.m.
 
The Missouri Valley Conference road matchup will be broadcast on the MVC TV Network, distributed by Gray Media and available on linear television in select markets throughout the Midwest and South, in addition to ESPN+. Larry Morgan (play-by-play) and Laura Leonard (analyst) will be 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

• The Bruins (12-9, 8-2 MVC) are coming off only their second loss in MVC play, a 78-71 home setback against league leader Murray State this past Saturday.
• Belmont was defeated 69-48 by the Racers on Jan. 18 in Murray, Kentucky. The loss snapped the Bruins' season-best six-game winning streak.
• Following an 11-day break from game action due to an ice storm in Nashville, Belmont picked up a 79-73 overtime victory at the University of Evansville last Thursday.
• The Bruins began MVC play 7-0, their best conference start since 2017-18 when Belmont completed its second consecutive undefeated season in the Ohio Valley Conference.
• The Bruins have won five of their last six true road games and are 5-3 in true road outings this season.
• Belmont is 6-2 in 2026.
• With their 77-67 home win over Evansville on Dec. 17, the Bruins secured their 10th-straight conference opening triumph.
• Belmont played eight of nine games at home with two four-game homestands in December and January. The Bruins had four of their six December games in the Curb Event Center and Belmont's first four games of the new year were in the Music City.
• Graduate guard Tuti Jones broke the Bruins' all-time steals record late in the third quarter in Belmont's 85-77 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 16 double-figure scoring games on the season and has posted at least 20 points four times in MVC play.
• Junior guard Jailyn Banks has scored in double figures in all but one game she has played this season (12-of-13). With a free throw at the four-minute mark of the third quarter against Murray State this past Saturday, Banks reached her 1,000th career point to become Belmont's 37th 1,000-point scorer.
• Graduate guard Avery Strickland was named MVC Newcomer of the Week on Monday after scoring a career-high 23 points and snagging a career-best eight rebounds in last week's overtime win over the Purple Aces. Her four 20-point performances this season are tied with Fuller 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 its 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 favorite 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 was outscored 47-38 in the second half, including 23-16 in the deciding fourth quarter, by the visiting Racers this past weekend in Nashville.
• The Bruins were hampered by 10-for-18 free-throw shooting and went 6-for-12 at the foul line in the pivotal fourth.
• Belmont led by six early in the third quarter but a 9-0 Murray State scoring run over a two-and-a-half minute stretch near the midway point of the final quarter completely shifted the momentum.
• The Bruins got back within two points with three-and-a-half minutes to go but were unable to get a stop on the Racers' ensuing possession.
• Belmont was outrebounded 43-31 and gave up 16 second-chance points on 13 Murray State offensive boards.
• The Bruins led 33-31 at halftime and the score was knotted at 55 through three quarters of play.
• The Racers shot 53.1 percent (17-of-32) from the field in the second half, while Belmont went 7-for-14 at the free-throw line.
• Banks and Fuller combined for 24 of the Bruins' 38 second-half points.
• Belmont committed a season-low eight turnovers and had only two in the second half.
• Fuller led the Bruins with 20 points and Strickland poured in 18 points, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, dished out a trio of assists and collected a pair of steals.
• Both sophomore guard Quinn Eubank and Banks finished with 12 points as Banks scored all of her 12 in the second half.
• Jones distributed a game-best and season-high tying seven assists.

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 ninth-ranked Ohio State on Nov. 24 in Nassau, Bahamas. She is only the 11th Belmont player to reach 1,500 career points and is second in scoring in the Bruins' NCAA era (1,664 points).
• Belmont's all-time steals leader (410), Jones is also the Bruins' all-time leader in both games started (157) and games played (158).
• 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 (1,121).
• 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 197-42 (.824) record in conference play.
• Altogether, including conference tournaments, the Bruins have gone 223-49 (.820) 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 210-77 record. His 73.2 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 137-22 (.862) 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 154-26 (.856) 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 is receiving the third-most votes (41) among teams not ranked in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.

Versus Drake

• Thursday will be the ninth all-time meeting between Belmont and the Bulldogs with Drake leading the series 5-3.
• The Bruins have won two of the last three matchups, including a 78-69 victory in Nashville on Jan. 9.
• Ending the game on a 9-3 run over the closing two-and-a-half minutes, Belmont outscored the Bulldogs 22-15 in the fourth quarter in the two team's earlier meeting this year. The Bruins forced 26 Drake turnovers, which led to 36 points, and made a season-high 10 blocks. Jones led Belmont with 21 points, while Strickland (13), Banks (13) and Fuller (10) also scored in double figures.
• The Bruins defeated the Bulldogs 80-65 in their last trip to Des Moines last January. Belmont hit 10 three-pointers and held Drake to 6-for-25 (24 percent) from beyond the arc. Jones paced the Bruins with 22 points and four steals.
• Belmont lost its first two games against the Bulldogs inside the Knapp Center.
• The two teams met in the 2023 MVC Tournament championship game in Moline, Illinois.

About the Bulldogs

• Drake (6-15, 5-6 MVC) has lost its last three games, including its last two in Des Moines.
• The Bulldogs were defeated 66-56 by rival Northern Iowa this past Sunday in the Knapp Center.
• Drake has not won a game since a 97-82 triumph over Evansville on Jan. 23.
• Despite being picked to finish fourth in the Valley in the preseason, the Bulldogs received four first-place votes.
• Drake won back-to-back MVC Tournaments in 2023 and 2024 and went 19-1 in conference play during the 2023-24 season en route to capturing the Valley's regular season crown.
• Last season, the Bulldogs tied with the Bruins for third in the final MVC standings, going 15-5 in league play and 22-12 overall. Drake also received an at-large bid to the WBIT but was ousted in the opening round at home by Marquette.
• Senior 5-foot-9 guard Abbie Aalsma is averaging a team-leading 15.4 points and 1.2 steals per game to go along with 2.7 assists per outing.
• Freshman 5-foot-10 guard Anna Becker, the reigning MVC Freshman of the Week, is averaging 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest.
• Sophomore 5-foot-10 guard Grace Knutson is also averaging double-figure scoring (10.0 PPG) while coming off the bench.
• Also as a reserve, sophomore 6-foot-2 forward Maggie Taylor leads the Bulldogs in rebounding (7.0 RPG) and is averaging 9.3 points per game.
• Senior 5-foot-9 guard Ava Hawthorne leads Drake in assists (3.0 APG).

Up Next
Belmont continues on to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take on Northern Iowa Saturday afternoon. Tipoff from the McLeod Center is set 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.