Lady Hoops Take on Northern Iowa in Saturday Showdown!

Belmont (10-7, 5-1 MVC) at Northern Iowa (9-8, 4-2 MVC)

Saturday, Jan. 18 | 2:00 p.m.

McLeod Center | Cedar Falls, Iowa

 
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – After achieving a road win against Missouri Valley Conference front-runner Drake on Thursday evening, the Belmont University women’s basketball squad will confront Northern Iowa on Saturday afternoon in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The game is set to commence at 2 p.m. from the McLeod Center.
 
This afternoon MVC clash within the Hawkeye State will be streamed on ESPN+. Additionally, the match can be listened to on Belmont Bruins Radio online, with Dr. Rich Tiner delivering live commentary. Live statistics can be accessed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
What’s Bruin

• The Bruins (10-7, 5-1 MVC) achieved their season-high fourth consecutive win on Thursday inside the Knapp Center, overcoming the Bulldogs 80-65 for their first victory ever in Des Moines, Iowa. The 80 points mark the highest Belmont has scored in a game this season.
• By handing Drake its first MVC defeat in nearly a year, the Bruins snapped the Bulldogs’ 19-game winning streak against Valley teams. Belmont became the first MVC squad to conquer Drake at the Knapp Center since January 11, 2023 (UNI).
• Against the reigning MVC regular season and tournament champions, the Bruins netted a season-high 44 points in the first half, trailed for merely 3:12 of the game, and maintained a lead of up to 17 in the second half. Sparked by the performance of graduate guard Tuti Jones and a collective team effort, Belmont showcased relentless execution on both ends of the court.
• Securing just their second win against the Bulldogs and first since February 25, 2023, in Nashville, the Bruins scored 22 points in each of the first three quarters and recorded a season-high 30 field goals, including 10 three-pointers. On defense, Belmont matched a season-high with 14 steals and forced 17 turnovers from Drake, converting them into 18 points. The Bruins dominated on the offensive boards, outscoring the Bulldogs 14-2 in second-chance points thanks to nine offensive rebounds.
• Belmont restricted Drake, who entered Thursday night ranked sixth nationally in made three-pointers per game (10.2), to 6-for-25 (24 percent) from beyond the arc. Equally impressive, the Bruins out-rebounded the Bulldogs 33-32. Prior to the game, Drake ranked 14th nationally in average rebounding margin (10.4).
• Jones recorded a season-high 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting in the win over the Bulldogs, while senior forward Carmyn Harrison nearly achieved a double-double with nine points and a game-high eight rebounds. Five of Harrison’s rebounds were on the offensive end. Graduate guard Kendall Holmes contributed 17 points against Drake, with 13 coming in the first half, and senior forward Kendal Cheesman added 15 points and five rebounds. Sophomore guard Jailyn Banks collected 12 points and led the team with four assists.
• Eight different players recorded at least one steal against the Bulldogs, with Jones leading the pack with four takeaways.
• With her four steals on Thursday, Jones reached 300 for her career. She is one of only 14 active players across all NCAA divisions and one of just six at the Division I level with 300 steals. Already Belmont’s NCAA era career steals leader, Jones moved into second place all-time in program history with a pair of steals in the MVC-opening win over Bradley on December 29.
• Confronting four top-20 opponents and six power conference teams, the Bruins ended up with a 5-6 record during their challenging non-conference slate.
• Belmont has held its opponents under 67 points in every victory this season, including seven games below the 60-point mark.
• The Bruins’ strength of schedule is currently rated as the 11th most challenging in the nation according to the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET).
• Belmont enters Saturday with a record of 5-6 away from home this season, including 4-4 in true road games and 2-1 on the road in the Valley.
• At least four Bruins have reached double figures in nine different contests this season.
• Banks matched her career high of 23 points in both of Belmont’s last two non-conference games against Southeastern Conference teams (No. 16/15 Kentucky and Mississippi State). Notably, all three of Banks’ career-high 23-point games have come against SEC rivals on the road. A native of Spring Hill, Tennessee (Middle Tennessee Christian School), Banks also scored 23 points in her collegiate debut at Missouri to kick off the 2023-24 season.
• Having reached double figures in 12 of 17 games this season, Banks has tallied in double digits in eight consecutive matches.
• Holmes has scored in double figures in 11 of 17 contests this season, while Jones has tallied in double digits in seven out of the last eight.
• Cheesman achieved her eighth career and third double-double of the season in last Friday’s home victory over the University of Illinois Chicago, tying her career-high with 14 rebounds and adding 10 points.
• Five Bruins scored in double figures during Belmont’s matchup at 16th-ranked Kentucky on December 20 to conclude their non-conference schedule.
• Junior guard Emily La Chapell reached a career-high 26 points on a career-best 12-for-17 shooting in the Bruins’ significant, 65-52 triumph over in-state rival Middle Tennessee on December 7.
• On November 17, Belmont came close to defeating top-15 ranked Ohio State inside the Curb Event Center in Nashville. The Bruins were tied with the Buckeyes at 63 with 30 seconds remaining and previously held a nine-point lead (59-50) with just over five minutes left.
• Belmont’s season opener took place at 13th-ranked Kansas State on November 7.

Newcomer of the Week

• After her commendable performance against the nationally-ranked Wildcats in Lexington, Kentucky, Holmes was awarded MVC Newcomer of the Week on Monday, December 23.
• For the Bruins’ initial weekly conference honor of the season, Holmes scored 18 points at top-20 ranked Kentucky on 6-for-10 shooting, which included 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.
• A native of Plainfield, Illinois (Benet Academy), Holmes energized Belmont’s comeback effort, as she tallied 11 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter, shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range. It was her long-range shot that narrowed the deficit to a single possession in the final minute.
• Holmes is only 64 points shy of reaching 1,000 for her career.

Nothing but NET

• With the NET rankings being released daily since the start of December, Belmont currently stands at No. 57.
• Last season, the Bruins concluded at 71st in the NET.
• Six of Belmont’s seven defeats this season came against squads ranked in the top 35 of the NET – No. 5 Kansas

• State, No. 9 Duke, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 17 Kentucky, No. 24 Michigan and No. 34 Mississippi State.
• The Bruins boast the top NET ranking in the 12-team MVC. Murray State is positioned at No. 60 and Northern Iowa sits at No. 73, both also making the top 75 of the NET rankings.
• The Panthers come into Saturday holding the third-highest NET ranking in the Valley.

Conference Supremacy

• Since the 2012-13 season, Belmont has achieved a phenomenal 179-36 (.833) record in conference action, claiming 12 total championships, encompassing both regular season and tournament titles.
• Head coach Bart Brooks has an astonishing 119-16 (.881) record in conference play over eight seasons and has never lost more than three league matches in a single season.
• Overall, when including conference tournaments, the Bruins have a record of 203-42 (.829) against league adversaries over 13 seasons.

MVC Opening Poll

• In the MVC Preseason Poll, Belmont was selected to finish third, as determined by the league’s head coaches, media members, and communications representatives, although they received three first-place votes.
• The Bruins have concluded either first or second in their conference for each of the past nine seasons.

Early Challenges Against Elite Competitors

• Belmont faced three teams that are ranked in the top 15 of both the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 and USA Today Sports/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches Poll during the initial three weeks of the season. Besides their season-opening matchup against the now No. 11/10 K-State, the Bruins hosted No. 9/8 Ohio State and journeyed to No. 14/14 Duke on November 21.

A Prosperous Program

• Belmont is recognized as the most successful program in the state of Tennessee over the past decade, having achieved 237 victories with a winning percentage of .731 from 2014-24.
• Only nine other programs have also recorded 20-plus wins for nine consecutive seasons – UConn, Stanford, Baylor, South Carolina, Iowa, NC State, Indiana, South Dakota State, and Florida Gulf Coast.
• The Bruins have secured the 16th-most victories of any NCAA Division I women’s basketball program (1,093).
• Belmont stands as the only institution in the nation to attain 20-plus victories for nine straight seasons in both women’s and men’s basketball.

A Championship-Worthy Program

• The Bruins (11) are among just five teams nationwide that have claimed more than 10 combined conference championships, including regular season and tournament, over the last eight seasons. The other four include UConn (16), Florida Gulf Coast (14), South Carolina (11), and Princeton (10).

Success in National Postseason Play

• Belmont has qualified for six of the past eight NCAA Tournaments and reached the Round of 32 in back-to-back years in 2022 and 2021.
• The Bruins concluded their 2023-24 season by securing their third national postseason victory in four years with a 77-59 away win against Ball State in the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) matchup.

National Acknowledgment

• Belmont has either been ranked or received votes in at least one of the two major national polls in eight of the last nine seasons.

Mid-Major Rankings

• The Bruins are positioned 22nd in the 10th CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25^® ranking of the regular season. Northern Iowa is listed at No. 24 in this week’s mid-major rankings.

Previous Season

• Belmont recorded a 26-9 season, marking their highest win total since 2018-19. Finishing 17-3 in MVC play, the Bruins secured second place in their second year in the Valley.

A Blend of Experience and Youth

• Returning starters Jones, Cheesman, and Banks, all of whom received All-MVC Third Team honors last year and were designated Preseason All-MVC Second Team selections, are three of eight returning letter winners for Belmont.
• The Bruins exhibit an impressive blend of experience and youth in 2024-25 with fifth-year player Jones, senior Cheesman, and graduate transfer guards Jacee Busick (Charlotte) and Holmes (South Dakota/DePaul) contributing significant starting experience. Busick and Holmes collectively brought in 1,382 points and 150 Division I starts. In her Belmont debut against top-15 ranked K-State, Holmes scored a team-leading 12 points. As of 17 games in, Holmes is the Bruins’ second-highest scorer (11.2 PPG).
• Additionally, Belmont has welcomed a trio of gifted freshmen including guard Quinn Eubank (Union, Ky.), forward Hilary Fuller (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia), and guard Sanaa Tripp (Covington, Ga.) to the Music City.

Under Coach Brooks’ Leadership

• In his eighth season at the helm, 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 for the second consecutive time.
• On November 29, 2023, Brooks achieved his 150th victory in fewer than 200 career games with the Bruins’ 72-68 win at Troy. He has guided Belmont to an impressive record of 182-62 (.746) and the Bruins hold an astonishing 134-19 (.876) record against conference foes, including league tournament appearances, during his tenure.
• In games of conference tournaments, Brooks has compiled a 15-3 record and stands 4-1 in championship matches.
• During the critical months of February and March, under Brooks’ direction, Belmont holds a record of 79-14 (.849).
• The third-fastest head coach to achieve 100 career wins in Division I women’s basketball history, Brooks ranks among the top 20 active Division I head coaches regarding winning percentage.

Facing One of the Toughest Schedules

• Each year, the Bruins engage in one of the most challenging non-conference schedules in the nation, and this season is no exception. Six of Belmont’s 11 non-conference adversaries hail from power conferences. Alongside their MVC schedule, the Bruins confront 10 teams that recorded 20 or more victories last season and hold games against nine programs that finished within the top 100 of the final 2023-24 NET rankings.
• Moreover, Belmont competes against 12 national postseason teams from the previous year, including six that qualified for the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Bruins at Home

• Since the beginning of the 2015-16 season, the Bruins have achieved a 107-15 (.877) home record.
• Belmont boasts a home winning percentage of .751 (205-68) within the Curb since the arena opened prior to the 2003-04 season.
• Under coach Brooks, the Bruins have an outstanding record of 83-14 (.856) at home.
• In conference contests, Belmont has shown even greater dominance at home, compiling a 95-12 (.888) record since 2012. Over seven seasons, coach Brooks has lost merely six league games at the Curb, with a record of 61-6 (.910).
• The Bruins finished 13-2 at home last season, marking the highest number of home victories in a single season since 2019-20.

Against Northern Iowa

• Saturday afternoon will mark the sixth all-time encounter between Belmont and the Panthers of Northern Iowa.
• The Bruins have triumphed in all five previous meetings, including two wins in Cedar Falls and a 69-62 victory in the 2023 MVC Tournament semifinals held in Moline, Illinois.
• Last February’s 84-72 victory over the Panthers in Nashville represented the largest margin of victory in the series, with the first four games between Belmont and Northern Iowa being decided by five to seven points.
• In January of the previous year, the Bruins bested the Panthers 72-67 on the road, powered by Cheesman’s double-double.

of 19 points and 10 rebounds. Belmont limited Northern Iowa to just nine points in the second quarter.

• In last season’s high-scoring home victory over the Panthers, Cheesman converted 7-of-9 from beyond the arc for a game-high 21 points, while Jones contributed 15 points along with six assists and three steals.

About the Panthers

• Under the guidance of the most successful coach in MVC history, 18th-year mentor Tanya Warren, Northern Iowa has started with a 4-2 record in Valley competition.
• The Panthers are coming off a 95-89 defeat at home against Murray State last Thursday night. Northern Iowa also faced a 79-66 loss at Illinois State last Friday.
• Victories against Indiana State (75-65), Bradley (67-44), as well as over Valparaiso (93-70) and UIC (75-64) comprise the Panthers’ four MVC wins.
• Northern Iowa finished 5-6 against a challenging non-conference slate, which featured home games against top-10 ranked Iowa State and receiving-votes Creighton, plus an away contest at No. 21 Iowa. The Panthers achieved an upset over then-eighth-ranked Iowa State 87-75 on Nov. 20 inside the McLeod Center.
• Chosen second in the MVC Preseason Poll, Northern Iowa garnered six first-place votes.
• Last season, the Panthers concluded the Valley with a record of 14-6 and an overall record of 16-16, ending fourth in the final conference standings before pushing top-seeded and future champion Drake into overtime during the MVC Tournament semifinals. In postseason play, Northern Iowa accepted an invitation to the 2024 WNIT, where they lost their opening round game against Saint Louis.
• Ranked among the top shooting squads in the nation, Northern Iowa holds the sixth spot nationally in three-point shooting percentage (.386) and 31st in overall shooting percentage (.463).
• Senior 5-foot-6 guard Maya McDermott, named to the All-MVC First Team last season, has been included on the midseason watch list for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats earlier this week. A notable scorer, McDermott averages 20.5 points alongside a team-high 4.9 assists per game.
• Graduate 5-foot-9 guard Kayba Laube is averaging 14.7 points per game on 52.3 percent shooting. She tops the nation in three-point shooting percentage (.519) and ranks eighth nationally in made three-pointers (56-of-108).
• Junior 5-foot-11 forward Ryley Goebel is also contributing double figures (10.1 PPG) and shares the team lead in rebounding (5.5 RPG).

Next Up
The Bruins return to Music City to host Evansville and Indiana State at the Curb next weekend. Belmont will face off against the Purple Aces next Friday evening and the Sycamores next Sunday, Jan. 26. The tip-off between the Bruins and Evansville is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with the MVC home contest being broadcasted on ESPN+.
 
Ticket Information
Season tickets are available for $199 per seat and cover all women’s and men’s basketball home games. Additionally, flex pack plans for the 2024-25 season and single-game tickets are also on offer.
 
For further details, visit BelmontBruins.com/Tickets or call 615-460-BALL.
 
How to Stay Updated
Keep up with Belmont women’s basketball on social media – @BelmontWBB on X, previously Twitter, @belmontwbb on Instagram and Belmont Women’s Basketball on Facebook – for comprehensive coverage of the Bruins. Also, stay informed about all of Belmont’s athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, accessible in both the Apple App Store and Google Play.
 

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