The Belmont University women’s basketball team will host Valparaiso on Sunday afternoon at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. and marks Belmont’s annual Play4Kay event to support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Fans are encouraged to donate to the fund and can receive a complimentary “Play for a Cure” t-shirt before the game while supplies last. After the matchup, players will be available for autographs.
Belmont enters the contest with a record of 15-9 overall and 11-2 in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play. The Bruins have won their last three games, including a recent 71-56 home victory over the University of Illinois Chicago. This season, they have an 8-4 record at home and have secured seven wins in their last eight road games.
Junior guard Jailyn Banks has reached double figures in all but one game this season and recently surpassed 1,000 career points. Graduate guard Tuti Jones broke Belmont’s all-time steals record earlier this year and leads the program in games played, games started, and steals. Sophomore forward Hilary Fuller leads the team with 17 double-digit scoring performances this season.
Graduate guard Avery Strickland was recognized as MVC Newcomer of the Week after posting career highs in points and rebounds during an overtime win against Evansville on January 29.
Head coach Bart Brooks recently celebrated his 200th career victory with Belmont. He holds a record of 213-77 across nine seasons, with a conference record of 140-22.
Belmont has established itself as one of NCAA Division I women’s basketball’s winningest programs over recent years. The team is among only nine nationwide to have achieved ten consecutive seasons with at least twenty wins.
The Bruins faced several top-ranked teams during non-conference play this season, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Duke, Princeton, and Ohio State—five of which advanced beyond the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Belmont’s postseason history includes reaching the championship game of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) in 2025—a school-best national postseason run—and making twelve national postseason appearances over thirteen seasons. The program has finished in its conference’s top three positions thirteen times in fourteen years.
Coach Brooks commented on his recognition: “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.”
Valparaiso arrives at Sunday’s game still seeking its first win this season (0-25 overall; 0-14 MVC). The Beacons’ current losing streak dates back to March 2025. Freshman Allia von Schlegell leads Valparaiso with an average of 11.7 points per game.
This will be just the sixth meeting between Belmont and Valparaiso; Belmont has won each previous matchup by at least thirteen points.
Tickets for single games are available through BelmontBruins.com/Tickets or by phone at 615-460-BALL.
The Credit Union 1 MVC Tournament is scheduled for March 12–15 at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. Passes are now available online along with accommodations at Drury Inn & Suites for fans attending.
Fans can follow updates on social media via @BelmontWBB on X (formerly Twitter), @belmontwbb on Instagram, or Belmont Women’s Basketball on Facebook.
