Box Score PROVO, Utah - - Despite leading into the second half, Belmont University men's basketball dropped a 95-81 decision at BYU Saturday night.
The Bruins, short-handed without the services of forwards Amanze Egekeze (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) and Nick Smith (Bentonville, Ark.), looked to become the first non-conference mid-major to win at BYU since 2005.
Senior Craig Bradshaw (Ridgetop, Tenn.) buried four three-pointers in the opening eight minutes to give Belmont a 16-12 lead.
A Bradshaw steal and score and a layin from junior Taylor Barnette (Lexington, Ky.) increased the lead to 11, 25-14, at the 9:28 mark.
As the partisan Marriott Center crowd got their bearings, Belmont had ample opportunities to push the lead out even further. But promising looks just rimmed off.
A teardrop from freshman Kevin McClain (Jennings, Fla.) made the score 30-20 with 7:02 left in the half.
But Nick Emery would spark a 10-0 BYU run to tie the score at 30.
Another highlight three-pointer from Bradshaw and a baseline basket from junior Evan Bradds (Jamestown, Ohio) kept the Bruins on top 37-33.
Sophomore Mack Mercer (Plymouth, Ind.), making his season debut, added a wing three-pointer to lift Belmont to a 42-40 halftime lead.
In one of the toughest places to play in college basketball, Belmont shot 52 percent (17-for-33) from the field in the opening 20 minutes, including 8-for-20 from three-point distance.
Bradshaw, who scored a career-high 42 points one year to the day at Ohio, was scintillating with 19 first half points.
Sophomore Tyler Hadden (Cincinnati, Ohio) kept the Bruins on top before the Cougars erupted from outside.
BYU, a strong outside shooting team which entered the night mysteriously just 28 percent from three-point distance, made four long distance shots in a 1:50 span to seize a 59-53 lead with 15:12 remaining.
Consecutive three-pointers from Chase Fischer made the score 68-55 with 12:22 left.
Belmont got within 75-67 with 7:30 left on a tough Bradds basket, but six straight free throws from Kyle Collinsworth halted the run.
Mercer showcased his all-around game, and the Bruins had a chance to get within eight late, but a shot danced off.
All told, Belmont shot 49 percent (29-for-59) from the field, including 11-for-31 from three-point distance.
Bradshaw led three Bruins in double figures with 26 points. Mercer added 16 while Bradds scored 11.
Emery led BYU (4-1) with 27 points.
Belmont returns to game action Tuesday, Dec. 2 versus Lipscomb. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT from the Curb Event Center. The game will be broadcast live on OVC Digital Network. The live play-by-play of Voice of the Bruins Kevin Ingram can be heard on the Bruin Sports Network and 104.5 The Zone.
