Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Behind 26 points from sophomore Adam Kunkel (Hebron, Ky.), Belmont University men's basketball defeated Jacksonville State, 101-84, Saturday from the Curb Event Center.
Kunkel went 10-for-18 from the field and added four assists and four rebounds in the victory.
With sophomore point guard Grayson Murphy (Franklin, Tenn.) in early foul trouble, Belmont got a huge lift off the bench from junior Nick Hopkins (Fayetteville, Tenn.) who scored 12 points in 15 minutes.
Sophomore Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio) asserted himself inside, scoring and working the Jacksonville State frontcourt into significant foul trouble.
Behind Muszynski, Belmont earned the bonus eight and a half minutes into the game.
After Jacksonville State trimmed a 15-point deficit to three points late in the first half, Kunkel capped a 7-0 run with a fadeaway 3-pointer to give Belmont a 48-38 halftime lead.
Jacksonville State got as close as 61-52 with 15:24 remaining, but four Kunkel points and a Murphy layin pushed the margin back to 15.
Belmont shot 56 percent (36-for-64) from the field and made nine 3-point field goals. The Bruins, the nation's leader in assists, handed out 23 assists on 36 made field goals.
Muszynski added 18 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots.
Murphy had 12 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals.
De'Torrion Ware led Jacksonville State (10-17, 5-9 OVC) with 25 points.
Belmont University held a pregame ceremony to name the Curb Event Center playing surface Rick Byrd Court, in honor of the former head coach who won 805 career games and led Belmont to eight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Belmont (20-7, 11-3 OVC) returns to game action Thursday, Feb. 20 at Morehead State.
