Box Score RICHMOND, Ky. - - Behind a game-high 22 points from sophomore Adam Kunkel (Hebron, Ky.), Belmont University men's basketball defeated Eastern Kentucky, 83-70, Saturday night.
Kunkel scored 11 points in the first three minutes as Belmont staked an early 13-5 lead.
The Bruins led wire-to-wire, attacking the hosts pressure defense for scores, while holding Eastern Kentucky leading scorer and All-OVC guard Jomaru Brown to nine points on 3-for-10 shooting.
Two free throws from freshman Ben Sheppard (Atlanta, Ga.) and a basket from sophomore Grayson Murphy gave Belmont a 42-30 halftime lead.
After Eastern Kentucky closed within 46-40 on a Brown 3-pointer, Kunkel capped a decisive 20-3 run with a dunk to make the score 66-43 with 12:08 left.
Belmont shot 54 percent from the field in the second half and made 12 3-point field goals for the game.
Belmont had 14 steals and forced 21 Eastern Kentucky turnovers.
Graduate student Tyler Scanlon (Centreville, Va.) had 14 points, while Murphy added 13 points, seven assists and a career-high tying seven steals.
Sheppard had 10.
Sophomore Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio), who injured his left ankle in Belmont's victory at Morehead State Thursday, started the game and played 10 minutes.
Lachlan Anderson led Eastern Kentucky (14-15, 11-5 OVC) with 15 points.
Based on other results in the Ohio Valley Conference Saturday, Belmont moves into a first-place tie with two regular season conference games remaining.
Belmont (22-7, 13-3 OVC) returns to game action Thursday, Feb. 27 vs. Tennessee Tech. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT from the Curb Event Center.
Scanlon and seniors Seth Adelsperger (Peru, Ind.) and Michael Benkert (Greenwood, Ind.) will be honored prior to the game.
