Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Behind a game-high 23 points from senior All-America candidate Evan Bradds (Jamestown, Ohio), Belmont men's basketball defeated Tennessee Tech, 82-70, Saturday.
An 11 a.m. CT tip provided the earliest start time in the history of the Curb Event Center, and two personal fouls on Bradds - who scored 102 points in his previous four games - in the opening 4:21 limited the Bruins in the first half.
But frontcourt mate junior Amanze Egekeze (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) gladly took the lead scoring role. Coming off a career-high 26 points Thursday night vs. Jacksonville State, Egekeze scored 11 points in the opening eight minutes as Belmont took a 15-13 lead.
The first half featured nine ties and seven lead changes, with a high-flying slam from sophomore Dylan Windler (Indianapolis, Ind.) making the score 29-28 at the 5:10 mark.
The game was tied at 35 at halftime.
Belmont shot 46 percent (13-for-28) from the field in the opening 20 minutes - including 6-for-20 from 3-point distance.
The Bruins forced seven first half turnovers.
Egekeze led the way with 14 first half points.
Savonte Frazier gave Tennessee Tech a brief 38-35 lead with 19:25 remaining, but behind Bradds, Belmont answered with an 11-1 run to seize a 46-39 lead.
An Aleksa Jugovic 3-pointer got the Golden Eagles within 46-45, before freshman Seth Adelsperger (Peru, Ind.) delivered an alley oop slam.
Moments later, Windler converted a 4-point play to give Belmont a 54-47 lead with 10:02 left.
Despite a hot streak from Hakeem Rogers, the Bruins had a reply at every turn, namely Barnette.
Barnette scored eight straight points to push the Belmont lead to 69-57 with 6:16 remaining.
Tennessee Tech got no closer than nine.
All told, Belmont shot 53 percent (27-for-51) from the field - including 12-for-31 from 3-point distance.
Bradds led four Bruins in double figures with 23 points and eight rebounds. Barnette scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half. Egekeze had 16, while Windler had 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
Junior Austin Luke (Rowlett, Texas) had 11 assists.
Rogers led Tennessee Tech (8-14, 4-3 OVC) with 18 points.
Belmont (13-4, 7-0) returns to game action Wednesday, Jan. 25 at Eastern Illinois. Tip-off is set for 7 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. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.
NOTES: Belmont has won nine consecutive games and 12 of its last 13 ... Belmont is 85-6 in its last 91 home games and is 35-1 in OVC games at the Curb Event Center ... Belmont outrebounded Tennessee Tech, 35-27, and was +8 in points in the paint ... Bradds has 125 points and 42 rebounds in his last five games ... Bradds and Barnette combined to score 35 of Belmont's 47 second half points ... Windler tallied his third career double-double ... Luke, No. 3 in the NCAA in assists per game, tallied his fifth double figure assist game of the season and fourth in the last six games ... Adelsperger scored for the second time in his last three games.
