Women’s Basketball Visits Middle Tennessee Wednesday Night

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Following a week-long break from game action, the Belmont University women's basketball team returns to play Wednesday night in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Bruins take on Middle Tennessee in a 6:30 p.m. tipoff from the Murphy Center.
 
The mid-state matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Jake Rose (play-by-play) and Kyle Turnham (analyst) on the call. The non-conference game can also be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio, available online, with Dr. Rich Tiner providing play-by-play of the action. Live stats of the midweek contest can be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
What's Bruin

• Belmont (3-4) returns to the States after dropping both its games in the Bahamas last week at the 2025 Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship in Nassau.
• The Bruins were defeated 68-56 by receiving-votes Ohio State last Monday before falling 76-66 to McNeese State last Wednesday.
• Last week's two games in the Bahamas were Belmont's first in the Caribbean since December of 2013 and the Bruins' first outside the United States, or a U.S. territory, since December of 2007.
• Belmont won consecutive games in mid-November with a 72-66 road triumph at Atlantic 10 Conference member Dayton on Nov. 16 and an 80-60 home rout of rival Lipscomb in the 79th Battle of the Boulevard on Nov. 19 inside the Curb Event Center.
• The Bruins earned their first win of 2025-26 in their home opener on Nov. 7 with an 83-61 trouncing of Brown.
• Ninth-year program leader Bart Brooks secured his 200th career victory with Belmont's win over the Flyers in Dayton, Ohio, on Sunday, Nov. 16. He reached the career milestone in only 270 games as a head coach.
• Two of the Bruins' first three games were against top-15 ranked Southeastern Conference opponents on the road. Belmont took on sixth-ranked Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma, in its season opener and challenged 12th-ranked Tennessee on Nov. 13 in Knoxville.
• 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 favorites to win the Missouri Valley Conference. 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 – graduate guard Tuti Jones, junior guard Jailyn Banks and senior guard Emily La Chapell – in addition to graduate transfer guard Avery 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 led the Cowgirls of McNeese State 35-32 at halftime and was up 37-32 30 seconds into the second half before being outscored 20-11 in the third quarter in the Bruins' second and final game at the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship in Nassau, Bahamas.
• Outscored 44-31 in the second half, Belmont was haunted by 27.6 percent (8-of-29) shooting in the closing 20 minutes.
• After the Bruins led by six with 30 seconds to go in the first half, the Cowgirls led form the 5:10 mark of the third period onward.
• McNeese State tallied eight points off seven Belmont third-quarter turnovers and the Cowgirls sunk 21 of their 26 second-half free-throws (80.8 percent).
• After hitting seven three-pointers in the first half, the Bruins went 3-for-16 from beyond the arc in the second half.
• A 13-3 McNeese State scoring run over a seven-minute stretch in the third quarter completely shifted the momentum of the game.
• Belmont got only three points off its bench, was outworked 36-30 on the glass and outscored 24-18 in the paint.
• Banks scored a game-best 20 points, 11 of which came in the second half, and dished out a season-high seven assists.
• Strickland reached a career-high 19 points on 4-for-10 shooting from deep.
• Jones totaled 16 points on 5-for-7 shooting, including going 4-for-6 from three-point range, four steals and a trio of assists.

1,500 Points and All-Tournament Team Honors

• Jones reached 1,500 career points with her season-high 19-point performance versus now 23rd-ranked Ohio State on Monday, Nov. 24 in the Bahamas.
• The Bruins' NCAA era leader in steals (368) and all-time leader in both games started (143) and games played (144), Jones is third among active career steals leaders across all divisions of college basketball.
• 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.

Returning to The 'Boro

• Banks, a Spring Hill, Tennessee, native, starred at Middle Tennessee Christian School, which is located in Murfreesboro.
• During her time in The 'Boro, Banks was a Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Division II-A Miss Basketball finalist as a senior in 2022-23 and was named The Daily News Journal 2022-23 All-Sports Female Athlete of the Year. Banks was also selected to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) All-State Team, in addition to landing a spot on The Tennessean All-Midstate First Team and being tabbed The Daily News Journal All-Area Player of the Year as both a junior and senior.
• Banks' high school is located just two-and-a-half miles from the Murphy Center.

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 (1,112).
• 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 189-40 (.825) record in conference play.
• Altogether, including conference tournaments, the Bruins have gone 215-47 (.821) against league opponents across the last 13 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 201-72 record. His 73.6 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 129-20 (.866) 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 146-24 (.859) 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 is no different.
• Six of Belmont's 11 non-conference opponents are 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 take on a trio of top-25 teams, including hosting No. 17/16 Kentucky (Dec. 14) after traveling to both No. 6/6 Oklahoma (Nov. 3) and No. 12/12 Tennessee (Nov. 13). Belmont also hosts receiving-votes Princeton this Saturday and Duke (Dec. 20) later this month.
• With Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio State, Princeton, Kentucky and Duke, the Bruins face 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 ranked 21st in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll and is 11th in the SB Nation Mid-Major Madness Other Top 25 rankings.

 Versus Middle Tennessee

• Wednesday night will be the 37th all-time meeting between the Bruins the Blue Raiders with Middle Tennessee holding a 19-17 lead in the series.
• Belmont has won the last three matchups, including ousting the Blue Raiders from the WBIT this past March in a first-round game at the Curb.
• The Bruins defeated Middle Tennessee by similar scores in both meetings last season, including 64-51 in the opening round of the WBIT and 65-52 at the Curb during the regular season last December.
• On Dec. 3, 2023, Belmont blew past the Blue Raiders 71-57 in the Curb by going 13-for-24 (54.2 percent) from outside.
• The Bruins are making their first trip to Murfreesboro since Nov. 16, 2022, when Middle Tennessee topped Belmont 80-62.
• Coach Brooks and the Bruins are 6-1 versus the Blue Raiders since the 2018-19 season when the mid-state rivalry was renewed after an 18-year hiatus.
• In Belmont's NCAA era, the Bruins are 6-4 against Middle Tennessee.
• Both Jones (11) and Banks (10) scored in double figures in Belmont's win over the Blue Raiders in the 2025 WBIT. The Bruins held Middle Tennessee to 32.3 percent (21-of-65) shooting for the game, including 23.8 percent (5-of-21) from long range.

Against Conference USA

• Belmont is 61-39 all-time versus current Conference USA members.

About the Blue Raiders

• The Blue Raiders are also off to a 3-4 start with wins over Tennessee State (59-53), Saint Louis (73-55) and Providence (54-48).
• Middle Tennessee has lost four of its last five games and went 1-1 at the Emerald Coast Classic last week in Destin, Florida. Following their win over the Friars last Monday in the Sunshine State, the Blue Raiders were defeated 69-47 by Mississippi State last Tuesday.
• Picked third by the league's head coaches in the Conference USA Preseason Poll, Middle Tennessee received a pair of first-place votes after winning its third consecutive regular season championship last season. The Blue Raiders went 26-9 overall and 16-2 in CUSA play in 2024-25, sharing the regular season crown with Liberty before falling to the Lady Flames in the championship game of the CUSA Tournament.
• Middle Tennessee is only two seasons removed from reaching the 2024 NCAA Tournament round of 32 as a No. 11 seed after upsetting sixth-seeded Louisville.
• Senior 5-foot-6 guard Alayna Contreras, an All-Summit League performer at the University of Missouri-Kansas City before transferring and a member of the Preseason All-CUSA Team, leads the Blue Raiders in scoring (13.4 PPG).
• Freshman 6-foot-1 guard Blair Baugus (11.6 PPG) and sophomore 5-foot-10 guard Savannah Davis (11.6 PPG) are also averaging double-figure scoring.
• Baugus leads the team in both rebounding (9.6 PGG) and steals (2.3 SPG).

Up Next
The Bruins begin a four-game homestand Saturday with receiving-votes Princeton visiting the Curb for a 1 p.m. tipoff. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ from the Music City. Next Sunday, Dec. 14, Belmont hosts nationally-ranked Kentucky.
 
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.