Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball defeated Lipscomb, 73-67, Wednesday in the 145th edition of the Battle of the Boulevard.
Belmont has won 14 of the last 16 meetings in the series.
Belmont head coach Casey Alexander returned to Lipscomb for the first time after serving as the Bisons' head coach for the previous six seasons; leading Lipscomb to the 2018 NCAA Tournament and 2019 Postseason NIT Championship game.
And while he faced a Lipscomb roster full of former players and recruits, he also faced a respected friend in Lipscomb head coach Lennie Acuff.
As expected in one of the most compelling and tradition-rich rivalries in college basketball, an intense, physical game materialized; with every possession fiercely contested.
Belmont got off to a positive start, as four quick points from sophomore Adam Kunkel (Hebron, Ky.) and a layin from sophomore Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio) sparked the Bruins to an early five-point lead.
After Lipscomb responded with an 8-0 run, Belmont got a dazzling coast-to-coast drive from sophomore Grayson Murphy to push the lead to 23-17 with 7:47 left in the half.
In addition, the Bruins received huge contributions off the bench from sophomore Tate Pierson (Brentwood, Tenn.) and freshman Ben Sheppard (Atlanta, Ga.), the duo combining to score 10 first-half points.
Lipscomb would go on a 14-5 run to close the first half, taking a 33-32 halftime lead on a putback basket from Parker Hazen.
Despite Murphy's spark midway through the first half, Belmont simply couldn't find its typical consistent shooting touch; shooting just 33 percent (13-for-39) from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
Belmont forced eight first-half turnovers.
An aggressive driving basket from senior Michael Benkert (Greenwood, Ind.) to open the second half served as a precursor of positive things to come for the Bruins on both ends of the floor.
Belmont limited Lipscomb to one field goal the first 6:29 of the second half, taking a 48-35 advantage with 14:17 remaining on a Muszynski slam.
An acrobatic finish from Kunkel and a 3-pointer from graduate student Tyler Scanlon (Centreville, Va.) increased the margin to 53-39 with 12:14 left, but free throw shooting and the play of KJ Johnson kept the Bisons within reach.
After an Ahsan Asadullah basket got Lipscomb within eight, a quick score from Murphy and a baseline 3-pointer from Kunkel gave Belmont a 70-57 lead with 4:53 left.
Belmont would manage time and score - and work possessions for high percentage shots - but the Bisons would not go away.
Four points from Andrew Fleming made the score 71-67 with 1:34 remaining.
But defensive stops down the stretch enabled Belmont to secure the victory.
Muszynski and Kunkel led Belmont with 16 points each.
Murphy recorded his fourth career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. He added five assists.
Fleming led Lipscomb (1-4) with 18 points.
Belmont (4-1) returns to game action Saturday, Nov. 23 at Saint Louis. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Midwest and the Fox Sports Go app. The live play-by-play can be heard on the Bruin Sports Network. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.
Belmont University men's basketball has earned postseason invitations 13 of the last 14 seasons, including eight berths to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins have won 17 conference championships since 2006 - third-most nationally over that span (Gonzaga, Kansas). Belmont is one of only six NCAA Division I programs outside the Power 5 to post Top 100 RPIs nine consecutive seasons (BYU, Gonzaga, Saint Mary's (CA), San Diego State, Wichita State). Belmont is one of only nine NCAA Division I programs to win 19 or more games 14 consecutive seasons (BYU, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, San Diego State). Belmont University men's basketball boasts an NCAA-leading 17 CoSIDA Academic All-America selections since 2001 and is the only NCAA Division I program to make the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) Honor Roll every year of existence.
