Missouri State Edges Out Belmont in Thrilling MVC Road Showdown

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An attempt to tie by sophomore guard Jailyn Banks resulted in a putback that was just a fraction of a second late for Belmont University women’s basketball on Thursday night in Springfield, Missouri, as the Bruins narrowly fell, 57-55, in their inaugural Missouri Valley Conference away game of the season. Belmont had seized a 53-52 advantage with 1:46 remaining but failed to capitalize on four of their last five opportunities, including a missed layup by Banks right before the final buzzer.
 
The Bruins (6-7, 1-1 MVC) were behind for more than 35 minutes of the matchup but remained in striking distance for most of the evening.
 
The Lady Bears (9-4, 1-1 MVC) regained the lead with consecutive layups from starting forward Sarah Linthacum, featuring an offensive rebound and follow-up, taking a 56-53 advantage with 59 seconds on the clock. Nevertheless, Missouri State shot 1-for-6 at the charity stripe in the last 30 seconds, providing Belmont with opportunities to either equalize or take the lead.
 
Displaying an atypical 3-for-15 (20 percent) performance from beyond the arc, the Bruins missed all four attempts from three-point range in the final quarter.
 
Belmont outscored the Lady Bears 36-24 in the paint, but both teams achieved shooting percentages around 35 percent from the field, with the Bruins finishing at 21-for-60.
 
Missouri State, last year’s MVC Tournament runner-up, held Belmont scoreless for the initial four-and-a-half minutes of the game and led 9-3 five minutes in. A steal and score from Banks ignited an 8-2 run for the Bruins, and a free throw from sophomore guard Kensley Feltner equalized the score at 11 late in the first quarter.
 
The Lady Bears were ahead 13-11 after the opening ten minutes as Belmont shot 3-for-13 (23.1 percent) from the floor.
 
Missouri State’s starting guard Kiley Bess capped off a 9-1 run for the Lady Bears two-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter, granting the home team their biggest advantage of the contest at 20-12. The Bruins then responded with eight consecutive points, with junior guard Emily La Chapell tying the game at 20 with a layup four-and-a-half minutes before halftime.
 
Belmont finished the last four minutes of the half shooting 2-for-8, and Missouri State entered the break with a 28-25 lead.
 
La Chapell amassed nine points in the first half, however, the Bruins managed only 30.8 percent shooting (8-of-26) and were 1-for-5 from beyond the arc. The Lady Bears shot 6-for-14 (42.9 percent) from the field in the second quarter, with Missouri State starting guard Paige Rocca also contributing nine points by halftime.
 
Belmont limited the Lady Bears to no field goals for the first two-and-a-half minutes of the second half, and a three-pointer from senior forward Kendal Cheesman provided the Bruins with their first lead of the game at 30-29. Following a five-point surge from Missouri State, Belmont narrowed the gap to one point on three occasions before a three-point play by Banks tied the game at 38 with 2:48 left in the third quarter.
 
A strong drive to the basket by freshman guard Sanaa Tripp at the end of the third period leveled the score at 42 heading into the final quarter.
 
Outscoring the Lady Bears 17-14 in the third quarter, the Bruins shot 46.7 percent (7-of-15) while holding Missouri State to 31.3 percent (5-of-16) shooting.
 
Belmont went without a field goal for the first 3:19 of the fourth quarter, allowing the Lady Bears to pull ahead 48-43. Graduate guard Kendall Holmes narrowed the deficit back to one at 48-47 with a layup with 3:56 remaining, before graduate guard Tuti Jones led a 10-4 Belmont run. Jones’ layup with 1:46 on the clock granted the Bruins only their second lead of the evening at 53-52.
 
Following Missouri State regaining a 56-53 advantage, Banks closed the gap to one on a putback with 35 seconds left. The Lady Bears’ Rocca converted one of two free throws on Missouri State’s next possession, putting the score at 57-55. With a chance to equalize, Belmont committed two turnovers in their next two possessions within the final 20 seconds.
 
The Bruins ended the fourth quarter shooting 6-for-19 (31.6 percent) while the Lady Bears shot 6-for-17 (35.3 percent).
 
Belmont outpaced Missouri State 30-29 in the second half with a shooting percentage of 38.2 percent (13-of-34). The Lady Bears converted 5-for-13 (38.5 percent) at the free-throw line during the second half and were 11-for-33 from the field.
 
Banks led a trio of Bruins scoring in double digits with 16 points, while both Jones and La Chapell contributed 11 points each. Cheesman collected a team-high nine rebounds and added seven points.
 
Linthacum spearheaded Missouri State with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting and secured eight rebounds. The Lady Bears also had 11 points from Rocca, 10 points from 2023-24 MVC Newcomer of the Year Lacy Stokes, and Bess registered a game-high 12 rebounds.
 
Of Note

• Missouri State achieved its third consecutive win in the series, now standing 3-3 against Belmont.
• The Bruins faced their first MVC defeat since February 17 of the previous year, which was a 77-71 home loss against Drake. Belmont concluded the 2023-24 regular season with six consecutive MVC victories.
• Freshman forward Hilary Fuller recorded multiple
  • Graduate guard Jacee Busick participated in a season-best 19 minutes.

  Upcoming
  The Bruins will travel to Carbondale, Illinois, for a Saturday afternoon contest against Southern Illinois. The tipoff at the Banterra Center is scheduled for 2 p.m. The MVC road game will be aired on ESPN+. The following weekend, Belmont will welcome UIC Friday evening and Valparaiso Sunday afternoon at the Curb Event Center in Nashville.
   
  Ticket Details
  Season tickets are currently available for $199 per seat, encompassing all women’s and men’s basketball home matches.
   
  Check available seating and secure your tickets.
   
  Flex pack options for the 2024-25 season are also on sale and can be acquired here.
   
  For additional information, call 615-460-BALL or visit BelmontBruins.com/Tickets.
   
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