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Tuti_Jones_vs_Kentucky2025
Parker Phegley
77
Winner Kentucky UK 11-1,0-0 SEC
69
Belmont BEL 4-6,0-0 MVC
Winner
Kentucky UK
11-1,0-0 SEC
77
Final
69
Belmont BEL
4-6,0-0 MVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Kentucky UK 16 25 15 21 77
Belmont BEL 14 18 14 23 69

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Bruins Challenge 15th-Ranked Kentucky at the Curb Sunday

Shorthanded Belmont Shows a Lot of Fight in 77-69 Loss

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Facing the nation's No. 15 team, the Belmont University women's basketball team put together a tremendous effort against the University of Kentucky Sunday afternoon in a 77-69 loss inside the Curb Event Center. The shorthanded Bruins (4-6) outscored the 15th-ranked Wildcats (11-1) in the fourth quarter and got within two possessions with under five minutes remaining.
 
Much of Belmont's fight was due in large part to graduate guard Tuti Jones, who put together her finest performance of the season to date with her fourth career double-double. Scoring a season-high 24 points on 6-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-9 from beyond the arc, Jones grabbed a season-best 10 rebounds, distributed a team-high five assists and came up with a game-high three steals. She was a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line.
 
In her second career start, sophomore guard Sanaa Tripp scored a career-best 16 points as she went 2-for-4 from distance. The Bruins also got 11 points from sophomore forward Hilary Fuller, her seventh double-figure scoring game this season.
 
Kentucky, one of the tallest teams in the country, dominated the glass and owned the paint with a plus-20 rebounding margin (49-29) and a 30-20 advantage in the lane. On the offensive boards, the Wildcats outrebounded Belmont 19-7 and got 16 second-chance points.
 
Committing a season-low 10 turnovers, the Bruins forced 17 Kentucky turnovers and scored 20 points off the Wildcats' offensive miscues. Belmont tallied nine steals and went 15-for-17 (88.2 percent) at the foul line.
 
A sluggish start by both teams saw Kentucky jump out to an early 7-2 lead before redshirt junior guard Claire Hyde knocked down the Bruins' first three-pointer of the day to even things at 9-all. Two free throws from Tripp tied the score once more at 11 with 2:46 left in the opening quarter. It would be the last tie in the game as the Wildcats led the rest of the way following a bucket from starting guard Tonie Morgan. Belmont trailed by only two (16-14) after the first quarter of play.
 
The Bruins were held to only one field goal across the first 5:25 of the second quarter, falling behind 29-16 before Jones got Belmont going with her first three of the afternoon. Freshman forward Leah West, Jones again and freshman guard Kate McGinnis strung together three more triples to complete a 12-4 run, getting the Bruins back within five at 33-28 with two-and-a-half minutes to go in the half. A Fuller layup kept Belmont within five at 35-30 with 90 seconds left in the half, but Kentucky took a 41-32 lead into the locker room after the Wildcats' Jordan Obi hit a three-pointer right before the halftime buzzer. Kentucky scored 25 points in the second frame behind 5-for-12 shooting from outside.
 
Jones had 10 points and six rebounds at the break.
 
The Wildcats began the second half on an 8-0 run, building Kentucky's largest lead of the contest at 17 three minutes in. Following a timeout, sophomore guard and Kentucky native Quinn Eubank (Union, Ky.) hit a three to ignite an 11-0 Bruin run. A Jones pull-up jumper got Belmont back within two possessions at 49-43 with two minutes remaining in the third quarter. However, the Wildcats responded with seven-straight points before Tripp made a halfcourt shot at the third-quarter buzzer. The Bruins trailed by 10, 56-46 heading into the final quarter.
 
Both teams went 5-for-15 from the field in the third period.
 
Down 12 at 63-51 with just under six minutes to go, Belmont made a strong push highlighted by Tripp's conventional three-point play. Tripp's made foul shot on the and-one made it a seven-point game at 63-56 at the fourth-quarter media timeout. Moments later, a pair of Jones free throws capped a 9-2 Bruin run to get Belmont within five at 63-58 with four-and-a-half minutes left. The Bruins were unable to get any closer the rest of the afternoon and Kentucky starting forward Amelia Hassett extended the visitors' lead back out to 11 at 71-60 with a three with 2:29 remaining. With 51 seconds to go, Jones splashed in a deep trey to keep Belmont within striking distance at 71-64. Forced to foul, the Bruins turned the ball over on their next possession and couldn't make any headway. Jones connected on yet another three with 14 seconds left, making it 75-67. Tripp made a driving layup to complete the scoring after the Wildcats converted all six of their free throws in the last 40 seconds.
 
Kentucky was 10-for-12 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and Belmont 9-for-11.
 
Jones scored 10 fourth-quarter points, and the Bruins outpaced the Wildcats 23-21 in the final stanza.
 
Behind a combined 25 points from Jones and Tripp and 16 points off 10 Kentucky turnovers, Belmont outscored the Wildcats 37-36 in the second half.
 
Hassett led Kentucky with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Obi also had a double-double of 13 points and 10 boards. Morgan dished out a game-best nine assists for the Wildcats and scored 18. Kentucky also got 18 points and eight rebounds from starting center Clara Strack.   Of Note
  • The Bruins fall to 1-7 all-time versus the Wildcats.
  • Three of Belmont's six losses on the season have come against top-15 ranked Southeastern Conference teams (No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 12 Tennessee).
  • Five of the Bruins' six losses this season have been against teams receiving votes in both national polls (Princeton, Ohio State, No. 12 Tennessee and No. 6 Oklahoma).
  • Jones recorded her 80th career double-figure scoring game.
  • Jones has scored in double figures in four of her last five outings.
Up Next
Belmont begins Missouri Valley Conference play Wednesday night with Evansville visiting the Curb. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Next Saturday, Dec. 20, the Bruins host the Atlantic Coast Conference's Duke.
 
Season Tickets
Season tickets, which include all Belmont women's and men's basketball home games, are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting BelmontBruins.com/Tickets or calling 615-460-BALL. Flex pack plans for the 2025-26 season are also on sale and can be purchased here.
 
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.
 
#ItsBruinTime
 
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