The Belmont women's basketball team is not new to the postseason. The Bruins played in the NCAA tournament in six of the previous eight years, reaching the second round in 2021 and 2022.
Belmont (26-12) is back in the NCAA Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament for the second straight year and has advanced to the championship to face Minnesota (24-11) on Wednesday (5 p.m. CT, ESPN2), so college basketball fans are asking more about the Bruins' program.
Belmont, which lost to Penn State in the second round of the WBIT last year, has won 10 of its last 11 games and had a 10-game win streak during the regular season.
The Bruins are led by sophomore guard Jailyn Banks (12.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg.), who scored a career-high 25 points in Monday's semifinal win over James Madison.
Where is Belmont University?
Belmont is located in Nashville, Tennessee where it was founded by two school principals Susan L. Heron and Ida B. Hood in 1890 as Belmont College for Young Women.
The intent was to buck the traditional trend of sending girls to finishing schools by providing them with intellectual and social learning. In the first year 90 students enrolled and paid a $60 tuition.
In 1913 Belmont College for Young Women merged with Nashville’s Ward Seminary for Young Ladies to form Ward-Belmont College.
After the school experienced financial problems in 1950 the executive board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention purchased Ward-Belmont’s property and in the spring of 1951 the school became a coeducational, four-year institution.
In May of 1951 the name was changed to Belmont College. In 1991 the name was changed to Belmont University. The school's current enrollment is about 9,000.
