EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Behind experienced play, tenacious defense and clutch shots, the Belmont University women's basketball team took care of second-seeded Missouri Valley Conference regular season co-champion Missouri State 76-67 late Saturday afternoon in the 2025 Credit Union 1 MVC Tournament semifinals. The third-seeded Bruins (22-11, 15-5 MVC) had four players score in double figures for the 15th time this season and Belmont willed its way on the boards, outworking the Lady Bears (25-8, 16-4 MVC) 38-36 on the glass.
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An 18-11 third quarter gave the Bruins a double-digit lead and Belmont relied on clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch. Outscoring Missouri State 35-25 in the second half, the Bruins went 17-for-19 (89.5 percent) at the foul line across the last 20 minutes of the contest.
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In a gritty, physical affair inside the Ford Center in downtown Evansville, Belmont remained poised and in control for much of the game. The Bruins committed only 10 turnovers, one shy of their season low, and limited the Lady Bears to 37.3 percent (22-of-59) shooting.
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Missouri State missed 18 of its 26 free-throw attempts (69.2 percent).
Belmont jumped out to a 6-2 lead, but the Lady Bears quickly settled in and went up 13-8 a little over four-and-a-half minutes in. Missouri State matched its five-point lead at 20-15 with a little under two-and-a-half minutes to go in the opening quarter. It would be the Lady Bears' largest advantage of the day.
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Both of Missouri State's two-possession leads were answered by freshman guard
Sanaa Tripp from three-point range. The Bruins trailed 24-22 after the first quarter as the Lady Bears began 9-for-18 from the field. Missouri State's Kyrah Daniels scored 10 of the Lady Bears' 24 first-quarter points.
A three-pointer from graduate guard
Tuti Jones began the second quarter and back-to-back threes by graduate guard
Kendall Holmes and Jones again gave Belmont a 36-30 lead with 6:40 to go in the half. Jones' second triple capped a 14-6 Bruin run to start the second quarter and a layup from senior forward
Carmyn Harrison put Belmont in front 40-33 midway through the period.
However, Missouri State ended the half on a 9-1 run to pull ahead 42-41 at intermission.
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Jones scored eight in the second quarter and had 10 at halftime. Going 4-for-9 from outside in the second stanza, all eight of the Bruins' three-pointers came in the first half.
Belmont held the Lady Bears scoreless for the first five-plus minutes of the second half, beginning on a 10-0 run and taking a nine-point, 51-42 lead a little less than four minutes in on a Jones pull-up jumper. The Bruins led by 11 at 53-42 with three-and-a-half minutes to go in the third quarter following a pair of Harrison free throws.
After Missouri State's Paige Rocca hit a three in the last 15 seconds of the third, Belmont took a 59-53 lead into the fourth quarter.
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The Bruins were 5-for-10 from the floor and a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line in the third quarter.
The Lady Bears' best second-half push came early in the fourth with Missouri State getting within two at 61-59 on a layup by MVC Defensive Player of the Year Lacy Stokes. On Belmont's next possession, junior guard
Emily La Chapell delivered a driving layup and got the foul to put the Bruins up five with five-and-a-half minutes remaining.
A big basket from senior forward
Kendal Cheesman made it 66-61 with two-and-a-half minutes left before sophomore guard
Jailyn Banks essentially put the game on ice. With the shot clock expiring and only 55 ticks to go, Banks connected on a jumper to give Belmont a promising 70-64 lead.
Holmes, Banks and Jones closed things out with free throws.
The Bruins kept the Lady Bears to 26.7 percent (4-of-15) shooting in the final quarter and 28 percent (7-of-25) for the second half.
Banks led Belmont with 15 points and six rebounds, while Jones and La Chapell tallied 14 points apiece. Holmes finished with 11 points and five boards and Cheesman snagged a game-high 14 rebounds.
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Stokes provided Missouri State with a game-high 21 points and four steals. The Lady Bears also got 14 points from Daniels, 11 points and five boards from reserve guard Kaemyn Bekemeier and 10 points and six rebounds from starting forward Sarah Linthacum.
Of Note
- The Bruins reach their second MVC Tournament championship game in three years.
- Belmont will make its eighth conference tournament title game appearance in 10 seasons.
- The Bruins win their second straight in the series with Missouri State, improving to 5-3 all-time.
- The victory avenges Belmont's Hoops in the Heartland semifinal loss to the then third-seeded Lady Bears last March in Moline, Illinois.
- The Bruins move to 15-1 all-time inside the Ford Center.Â
Up Next
Belmont faces top-seeded and MVC co-champion Murray State in the Credit Union 1 MVC Tournament championship game Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Racers defeated fourth-seeded Drake 96-90 in the first semifinal of the MVC Tournament Saturday afternoon. Sunday's winner receives the Valley's automatic bid to the Big Dance. The title game will be broadcast on
ESPN2. Sunday evening's NCAA Tournament selection show will air on
ESPN at 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET.
How to Follow
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