Featured photo by Calvin White
Story by Calvin White
NASHVILLE, Tenn- Belmont women’s basketball led wire-to-wire and dismantled Middle Tennessee 71-57 Sunday afternoon at the Curb Event Center.
Belmont (5-3) only led by three at the end of the first quarter, but the second quarter is when the Bruins flipped the switch and took over the game. Belmont outscored MTSU (6-3) 23-11 in the second quarter behind junior Kendal Cheeseman’s three 3-pointers in the frame to take a 38-23 halftime lead.
The Bruins’ physical defense was able to take MTSU out of its set offense and take away the Lady Raiders’ ability to get good shots. The MTSU guards were not able to get to the rim for most of the game and had to settle for contested runners. Belmont forward Tessa Miller was also able to limit Anastasiia Boldyreva to just nine points on 4-of-12 shooting.
Savannah Wheeler finished the game 3-of-13 from the floor for 10 points and Jalynn Gregory was 2-of-7 for five points. Gregory fouled out with 9:54 remaining in the fourth quarter.
“We got punched in the mouth,” MTSU forward Courtney Whitson said. “They’re physical and we just laid down. It’s been the same deal since Colorado. We have a little bit of success and then we get hit and just lay down. We have to be mentally tougher.”
MTSU had no answer for almost any of Belmont’s guards. Tuti Jones, Kilyn McGuff and Kendal Cheeseman combined for 52 of the Bruins’ 71 points. Entering the game, Belmont made an average of eight 3-pointers per game but made 13 against the Lady Raiders.
“We knew they were going to try and get us out to deny and run backdoor cuts and we were more focused on that and just lost their shooters,” Whitson said. “We just weren’t disciplined. We weren’t sticking to our principles no matter the personnel.”
MTSU has another tough opponent on Wednesday when the Lady Raiders will travel to Huntsville to take on the nationally ranked Tennessee Volunteers. MTSU will need a quick reset and recovery if it wants to beat the Lady Vols.
“We don’t play any poor teams,” MTSU head coach Rick Insell said. “We’ve got Tennessee on Wednesday then we’ve got Tennessee Tech on Sunday and they’re picked to win the OVC. So really, we don’t play anyone where we can walk out there and say we’re going to win.”
Calvin White is the sports editor of MTSU Sidelines. If you have information for a story, you can contact him at wcw3f@mtmail.mtsu.edu. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mtsusidelines, or on X @MTSUSidelines.
