CORALVILLE, Iowa — XTream Arena continued to be Upset City as No. 10 Evansville took down No. 2 Belmont, 76-63, to advance to the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament semifinals.
While it was just the second MVC tournament game Evansville has won since 2017 — with the first coming Thursday night — it was the first time in the four years since they joined the Valley that Belmont has not made the semifinals.
The experience was a roller coaster of emotions for both teams’ coaches.
“I’m proud of them and I appreciate them for making me look good because I have been saying all season that all the close games that we played in were eventually going to pay off for us,” Evansville head coach Robyn Scheer told reporters after the game. “So, that experience, just being in those moments over and over, and even though most of them turned out to be losses this season, I knew at some point it was going to pay off.”
“We talked about it paying off here in the tournament. We also talked a lot about it paying off next year too, but it’s paying off now,” she added. “I’m really pumped for these guys that we’re getting to see that now. But they’re playing the way that I’ve always known we were capable of playing. So, I’m really, really proud of them for putting it together this time of the year.”
On the flip side, Belmont head coach Bart Brooks was complimentary of Evansville, but also devastated for his team.
“They did a good job, and so all credit to them,” Brooks told reporters, referring to Evansville. “On the other side of it, always at this time of year, when one team has elation and victory, the other team is agonizing in defeat. And that’s why March Madness is fun for people who aren’t in it, but people who live it and have to do this for a living and spend every ounce of their energies into building the crescendo of a season and it not go your way, it’s a challenge, it’s disappointing.”
Evansville was led by sophomore guard Camryn Runner’s 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
“To dig in and lock arms with each other, it takes a special group and it’s really special playing with this team. It means a lot to each other that you show up each day, fighting for each other, not just yourself, fighting for the program, fighting for the team on the jersey,” Runner told reporters.
Evansville will play No. 3 Illinois State, who defeated No. 6 Drake 69-82, on Saturday at 4 p.m. CT for a spot in Sunday’s MVC Championship Game.
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Scoring records smashed in Day 2 opener
The opening game of Day 2 was a high-scoring affair, as top seed Murray State defeated No. 9 Indiana State, 105-88.
The combined 193 points broke the tournament record of 186 that was previously set last year by Murray State (96) and Drake (90). Murray State was also the first team to score 100 points in a MVC Tournament game. The last team to come close was Drake, scoring 98 against Missouri State in the league’s first tournament in 1983.
Murray’s high-flying offense is by design, according to head coach Rechelle Turner.
“We’re trying to outscore the other team. Have you seen our defense? I mean, we’ve got to score a lot of points,” Turner told reporters in a post-game press conference. “We try to score 25 points a quarter. We try to try to put a number on the board that other teams have a hard time getting to.”
MVC Player of the Year Halli Poock led Murray State’s scoring with 27 points, followed by senior guard Haven Ford with 18 points.
“When you have two lead guards like I’ve got that just play with pace, play together so well, find each other, get to the rim, get to the free throw line, make open shots…all of that starts with our push from what we call our pushers and and these two are pretty special,” Turner said.
The game also showcased an impressive individual scoring performance. Indiana State sophomore guard Tierney Kelsey‘s 46 points put her in the record books as third highest single-game scorer in MVC Tournament history. This puts her in elite company, just behind Missouri State legend Jackie Stiles, who scored 56 against Evansville in 2000 and 47 against Drake in 2001.
Indiana State head coach Marc Mitchell is excited about the future of his star guard.
“She’s one of the dynamic guards in this league,” he said in the post-game press conference. “She needs to get a little bit more respect on her name and the plans that we have for this young lady, I think you’ll see her on an all-conference team next season.”
Despite the loss, Tierney was proud she was able to play her best and looks forward to the future.
“This year has been a long year, but through it all, Coach Mitchell has had my back through the ups and downs, good games, bad games,” she told reporters. “So, I just really wanted to end the season going out with the band, not giving up and doing my best for myself and my team and the coaches.”
“It really showed that I’m not done yet. I’m a sophomore, so I got two more years left, so I’m not finished,” she said. “I have a lot more growing to do, and I’m gonna get way better — a lot of things to come in the future.”
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Once high school rivals, now teammates
No. 4 Northern Iowa (UNI) survived No. 5 Bradley’s late-game rally, defeating the Braves, 74-73, to advance to Saturday’s semifinal game with Murray State. UNI is the only team to defeat Murray State in conference play this season, taking the down the Racers, 89-74 on Jan. 23.
The Panthers were led by a duo, junior guard Jenna Twedt and senior forward Ryley Goebel, who battled against each other on opposing teams in the same high school conference. Twedt scored 25 points while Goebel added 16 points and pulled down six rebounds.
Goebel, the 2026 MVC Defensive Player of the Year, was a member of the 2018-19 Iowa 3A Championship team at Center Point-Urbana and was named the 2021 WaMaC West MVP and was a member of the 2021 All-State, All-District, and All-Conference first teams.
Meanwhile, Twedt led WaMac Conference and county rival Benton Community to 2022-23 Iowa 3A state finals.
Now, they enjoy being teammates rather than foes.
“I think that goes without being said,” Goebel said about Twedt’s ability on the court. “We complement each other very well, and I love playing with her, she makes a huge impact on the floor.”
Twedt is new to the UNI team this year, transferring from Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she was Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Player of the Year last season, National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Tournament champion and MVP her freshman season.
She has seamlessly made the transition from junior college to Division I, leading the Panthers to 14.8 points per game this season.
“The games are definitely challenging,” Twedt said. “I mean, it’s definitely a bit of a jump, but I think just having the experience from Kirkwood and my coaches there kind of helped me transition up here easier. But moments like this kind of help from the national tournament I played two years definitely helped bring this one together.”
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Paving the way for the future
While Bradley’s 1-point 74-73 loss to UNI was crushing, coach Katie Popovec-Goss is proud of how her team has turned the corner and is forging into the future.
“Obviously a heartbreaker for our team. I told them in the locker room, I wish I had words to make it better. I wish I had a magic pill,” she told reporters after the game. “But sometimes when you lay your heart on the line, it doesn’t mean you get what you want.”
“This game hurts. It’s a tough one, but we’re in our last game losing in the conference tournament,” she added. “We’re going to take a postseason bid. We have that opportunity because of what we’ve done this year — 20-win season, tied for third in the league, set numerous records.”
Holding her infant daughter, Popovec-Goss tearfully thanked her seniors — Kaylen Nelson, Lucia Llaveria, Amy O’Hara, Tamia Perryman and Carlie Vick.
“I’m forever indebted to these girls, not only because of what they’ve done for Bradley, but for what they’ve done for me as a head coach,” she said. “This year has been an amazing one. I welcomed this very big bundle of joy with my husband on Nov. 29 and these kids didn’t miss a beat.”
“I have an incredible staff, but these seniors, when we do win a conference championship, it’s as much theirs as it is anyone else, because we don’t get to move forward if we don’t win now. I’ve got a locker room full of amazing kids that mean the world to us, and I’m so grateful for them and the example that they set for this one to grow into.”
