Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Behind a 29-4 second half run, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Cleveland State, 88-61, Thursday night.
Off of Monday's victory at Milwaukee, the Bruins looked to close the pre-conference slate with a second victory over Horizon League competition.
After another confounding start which saw the visiting Vikings score the opening six points, junior Amanze Egekeze (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) buried consecutive 3-pointers to tie the score 3:14 in.
Neither team worked into an offensive rhythm in the opening 10 minutes, but two free throws from senior Evan Bradds (Jamestown, Ohio) and a 3-pointer from senior Taylor Barnette (Lexington, Ky.) gave Belmont a 17-11 lead.
The Bruins maintained their momentum behind solid bench contributions, including freshman Seth Adelsperger (Peru, Ind.), but Cleveland State found a response from reserve forward Anthony Wright.
The junior, who entered play with 18 total points on the season, erupted for 12 first half points to lift the Vikings to a 24-21 lead.
But timely 3-pointers from freshman Michael Benkert (Greenwood, Ind.), junior Austin Luke (Rowlett, Texas), and Barnette helped give Belmont a 40-35 lead at halftime.
Belmont shot 52 percent (13-for-25) from the field in the opening 20 minutes - including 8-for-17 from 3-point distance.
Egekeze led Belmont with 12 first half points.
Despite two baskets from Demonte Flannigan early in the second half, an Egekeze slam, a Bradds conventional 3-point play, and a wing 3-pointer from sophomore Dylan Windler (Indianapolis, Ind.) pushed Belmont to a 48-39 lead with 17:50 left.
After a 3-pointer from Kasheem Thomas made the score 50-45 with 15:55 remaining, Belmont held the visitors to four points over the next 11 minutes with a decisive mix of strong defense and unselfish offense.
Sophomore Kevin McClain (Jennings, Fla.) made his presence felt in short order, having a hand in 10 straight points as the Bruin lead swelled to 68-49 with 11:28 remaining.
But the stingy Belmont defense and rebounding told the tale, forcing Cleveland State into contested shots and forced decisions.
Bradds, who shook off early foul trouble and Viking double teams, scored three straight baskets to cap the 21-0 run and give Belmont a 79-49 advantage with 5:25 left.
All told, Belmont shot 57 percent (30-for-53) from the field - including 14-for-30 from 3-point distance. The Bruins held Cleveland State to 34 percent shooting and outrebounded the Vikings, 35-30.
Bradds led four Bruins in double figures with 19 points and seven rebounds. Egekeze had 14, while McClain added a career-high 13 points - all in the second half. Smith scored 10.
Rob Edwards and Wright led Cleveland State (4-8) with 14 points each.
Belmont (6-4) returns to game action Saturday, Dec. 31 at Austin Peay. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast 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. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.
NOTES: Belmont has won 81 of its last 87 home games ... With 19 points, Bradds passed J.J. Mann for sixth on Belmont's NCAA era career scoring list; he now has 1,526 career points ... Belmont outscored Cleveland State, 36-28, off the bench, including career-highs from McClain and Adelsperger ... Windler continued to stuff the stat sheet with eight points, seven rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocked shots ... Luke has 18 assists and four turnovers in his last two games.
