DES MOINES, Iowa – In the midst of an atmosphere reminiscent of March and postseason play, the Belmont University women's basketball team battled Drake University Friday evening inside the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa, but was handed its first Missouri Valley Conference loss of the season. The host Bulldogs (13-4, 6-0 MVC) held the Bruins (12-5, 5-1 MVC) scoreless for the final 4:21 of the game to earn a 69-65 win.
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Friday's setback marks Belmont's first MVC loss since Jan. 15, 2023, versus Illinois State.
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In a rematch of the 2023 MVC Tournament championship game in Moline, Illinois, Drake outscored the Bruins 23-13 in the fourth quarter and ended the night on a 12-3 run. The Bulldogs led for only 5:12 of the game.
Belmont held the lead for over 30 minutes of action and led by as much as 10 in the second quarter, but a Drake scoring run put the Bulldogs up at halftime. Inspired defensive play by the Bruins kept one of the top offensive teams in the nation out of rhythm for most of the contest as Belmont made a season-high eight blocks and came up with nine steals.
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Despite Belmont's stops and 10-for-25 (40 percent) three-point shooting, Drake made timely baskets late and controlled the interior. The Bulldogs outscored the Bruins 36-24 in the paint, held a plus-14 advantage on the boards (47-33) and earned 16 points off 17 offensive rebounds.
Belmont limited Drake, who ranks among the top 10 in the country in shooting, to 39.1 percent (27-of-69) from the field and 8-for-30 (26.7 percent) from behind the arc.
The Bruins made it to the foul line only twice and were restricted to a season-low four free-throw attempts.
A three-pointer from freshman standout guard
Jailyn Banks put Belmont up 5-0 in the first 75 seconds before sophomore guard
Emily La Chapell gave the Bruins an early 11-4 lead. A jumper from redshirt junior guard
Tuti Jones kept Belmont in front by seven at 15-8 late in the opening quarter and the Bruins took a 17-13 lead into the second stanza.
Thanks to six first-quarter points from both Jones and junior forward
Kendal Cheesman, Belmont made eight of its first 13 shots (61.5 percent).
Jones hit a triple in the first minute of the second quarter and a three by junior guard
Kilyn McGuff gave the Bruins a 23-15 lead. Banks found a sprinting La Chapell and delivered a beautiful bounce pass to push Belmont in front 27-18 midway through the second. McGuff knocked down her second trey with 3:40 to go in the half, giving the Bruins their lone double-digit lead of the evening at 30-20.
The Bulldogs scored 11-straight points to end the half as a layup by Brooklin Dailey secured Drake's first lead of game at 31-30 with 41 seconds before the break.
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Belmont was outscored 18-13 in the second quarter and held to 5-for-15 (33.3 percent) from the floor. Jones had nine points at intermission and Cheesman scored eight points in the first half.
Starting forward Courtney Becker quickly increased the Bulldogs' lead to four in the first 15 seconds of the second half before the Bruins responded with a Cheesman corner three and a McGuff jumper. A Banks driving layup and a bucket from junior forward
Tessa Miller capped a 6-0 Belmont spurt that put the Bruins back out in front 41-37.
With the score even at 42 and 3:15 left in the third quarter, Belmont strung together a 10-4 scoring run to end the period. In the final 20 seconds of the quarter, the Bruins had two of their most electric plays. Banks nailed a deep three-pointer late in the shot clock with seven seconds remaining, before Cheesman delivered a fierce block on the defensive end with a second to go.
Belmont led 52-46 heading into the decisive fourth quarter.
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The Bruins held Drake to 26.3 percent (5-of-19) shooting in the third while going 9-for-17 (52.9 percent) from the field, including 3-for-6 from deep.
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A pair of Banks free throws kept Belmont up by five at 54-49 a minute-and-a-half into the fourth and Jones connected on a triple to make it 57-51 a little over two minutes in. Another Jones three gave the Bruins a 62-57 lead with six minutes left.
After the Bulldogs tied the score at 62 with five consecutive points from Grace Berg, McGuff banked in her third three-pointer of the game. However, McGuff's triple with 4:21 remaining would be Belmont's last points of the night.
Over the next two minutes of play, the Bruins got three defensive stops and made a pair of blocks. With two minutes to go, Drake's Taylor McAulay scored on an offensive rebound to trim Belmont's lead to one at 65-64. Moments later, a Berg layup gave the Bulldogs their first lead since the four-minute mark of the third quarter.
The Bruins had multiple chances on their next possession with a little over a minute left but couldn't get anything to fall. Junior forward
Carmyn Harrison blocked Drake's Becker with 35 seconds remaining, but the Bulldogs' Anna Miller cleaned up the glass to make it a three-point affair at 68-65.
Cheesman launched a contested three with 20 seconds to go and Belmont was forced to foul after the ball went off the Bruins upon review.
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Drake shot 52.9 percent (9-of-17) in the fourth quarter and was 3-for-6 from outside, while Belmont went 4-for-18 (22.2 percent) from the floor and 3-for-12 from distance.
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Cheesman scored 10 of her game-high 18 points in the second half and the Bulldogs got 12 second-half points from Berg and 10 from McAulay.
Adding a career-high three blocks, Cheesman finished 8-for-15 from the field. Jones recorded 15 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals with zero turnovers. Banks totaled 12 points and four assists and McGuff poured in 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting, including going 3-for-3 from long range.
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Miller collected a game-best 11 boards and distributed a season-high tying five assists.
McAulay led Drake with 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting and Becker tallied 16 points and nine rebounds. The Bulldogs also got 16 points from Berg and a game-high nine assists from starting point guard Katie Dinnebier.
Of Note
- Drake improves to 3-1 all-time versus the Bruins.
- The 69 points allowed is the most Belmont has given up in MVC play this season.
- The loss snaps the Bruins' five-game winning streak.
- Cheesman has scored in double figures in four-straight games for the first time in her career.
- McGuff returned after missing both of last weekend's games.
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Up Next
Belmont wraps up its four-game road stretch in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Sunday where the Bruins will take on Northern Iowa from the McLeod Center. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and the road matchup will be broadcast on
The Valley on ESPN available on
ESPN+. Next weekend, Belmont hosts Missouri State and Southern Illinois.
How to Follow
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Belmont Women's Basketball on Facebook - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via theÂ
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