NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Belmont Bruins used a dominant third-quarter surge to pull away from the Illinois-Chicago Flames and secure a 71-56 victory in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Friday night at Curb Events Center.

A crowd of 1,231 saw the Bruins improve to 15-9 overall, while the Flames fell to 11-13.

The game’s pivotal sequence came immediately after halftime. Leading 31-24 at the break, Belmont unleashed a 28-point third quarter, its highest-scoring period of the night, to bury the Flames. The Bruins’ offensive explosion was a collaborative effort, but was spearheaded by the inside-outside combination of Hilary Fuller and Tuti Jones.

Fuller, a 6-foot-2 junior from Brisbane, Australia, scored 11 of her game-high 19 points in the third quarter, including three 3-pointers. Her stretch of consecutive long-range shots helped transform a competitive game into a comfortable Belmont lead. Jones, a guard from Troy, Alabama, facilitated the outburst, dishing out multiple assists during the run, including two on Fuller’s 3-pointers, as part of her nine-point, three-assist performance.

Illinois-Chicago, which had struggled offensively in the first half, found a rhythm in the third quarter behind the scoring of Jessica Carrothers. The Flames actually outscored Belmont 23-28 in the period, but could not cut into the deficit because the Bruins’ offense was even more potent. Carrothers, a 5-7 guard from Highland, Indiana, finished with a team-high 24 points and five assists, with 14 of those points coming in the third quarter as she tried to will her team back into contention.

The Flames’ effort was ultimately undone by turnovers and Belmont’s ability to capitalize on them. Illinois-Chicago committed numerous giveaways, which the Bruins converted into 22 points off turnovers. Belmont, by contrast, was more secure with the ball, yielding only 13 points off its miscues.

Belmont established control early, closing the first quarter on a 16-2 run to take a 19-11 lead. The Flames’ offense stalled, managing only nine points in the fourth quarter as the Bruins maintained their double-digit advantage to the final buzzer.

Supporting Fuller’s effort for Belmont were Jailyn Banks of Spring Hill, Tennessee, with 15 points and five assists, and Avery Strickland of Knoxville, Tennessee, who also added 15 points. The Bruins’ defense was anchored by two blocks each from Fuller and KK Brodie.

For Illinois-Chicago, Julia Coleman of St. Louis contributed 10 points, while Magdalena Winter of Berlin, Germany, added nine points and a team-high eight rebounds. The Flames were hampered by poor shooting throughout the contest.

The victory was in line with pregame analytics, as statistical systems heavily favored the Bruins at home. Belmont now looks ahead to a Sunday matchup against Valparaiso, while Illinois-Chicago travels to face Murray State on the same day, seeking to snap a two-game skid after a win over Evansville on Feb. 7.

The most critical phase of the game was unquestionably the opening minutes of the third quarter. With the outcome still in doubt, Belmont’s systematic dismantling of the Flames’ defense, highlighted by Hilary Fuller’s sudden barrage of 3-pointers, created an insurmountable gap. This explosive, concentrated offensive execution transformed a methodical contest into a decisive victory, showcasing the balanced scoring and efficient ball movement that characterized the Bruins’ performance.