Box Score
ST. LOUIS - - Using its trademark championship courage and resolve, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Saint Louis, 64-59, Tuesday.
In a game replete with national implications, a fiercely contested 40 minutes was anticipated, and realized.
Making the outcome all the more satisfying, to say Belmont endured a nightmarish start would be an understatement.
Belmont missed nine of its first 10 shots and committed five turnovers in the first seven and a half minutes.
A Martin Linssen layin gave Saint Louis an 18-3 lead with 12:33 left in the first half.
Belmont answered with four points from Grayson Murphy and a Tate Pierson 3-pointer to stabilize and get within eight.
Saint Louis stretched back out to 26-12 on a Yuri Collins basket before Will Richard provided a much needed offensive spark.
A trio of 3-pointers in a two-minute stretch got Belmont within 28-24.
Saint Louis led 32-26 at halftime.
Richard led Belmont with 11 first-half points.
After Jordan Nesbitt gave Saint Louis a 40-29 lead with 17:36 remaining, Ben Sheppard made consecutive 3-pointers to cut the margin to five.
In the most impactful minutes of his young career, Frank Jakubicek provided invaluable bench contributions - his three tough interior baskets in 100 seconds got Belmont within 42-41.
A disputed Nesbitt tip-dunk and a Gibson Jimerson 3-pointer made the score 49-43 with 11:17 left.
Undeterred, Belmont replied with two baskets each from Richard and Nick Muszynski to tie the score at 51.
One Sheppard free throw gave Belmont its first lead, 52-51, with 6:03 remaining.
Each possession felt like a heavyweight prize fight, with huge momentum swings at every turn.
Belmont delivered vintage form in the second half, executing with precision and purpose.
Muszynski found Murphy for a baseline layin before the 6-11 center scored himself in the lane to give Belmont a 56-54 lead with 3:20 left.
After one Linssen free throw, Luke Smith found Murphy backdoor to increase the Belmont lead to three.
Then after a Sheppard steal, Muszynski scored a determined offensive rebound basket to make the score 60-55 with 2:08 remaining.
Jimerson made an acrobatic 3-pointer to get Saint Louis within two points before Smith and Murphy connected again to give Belmont a 62-58 lead with 1:33 left.
The teams exchanged defensive stops - including an extended Belmont possession following a Murphy offensive rebound to work more clock.
Richard pressured Terrence Hargrove into a turnover with 17 seconds remaining.
But just when Belmont appeared on the verge of a straightforward victory, one final plot twist would need to be navigated.
Nesbitt would steal a Belmont inbounds pass and earn two free throws with 12 seconds left.
He would make one free throw to get Saint Louis within 62-59.
On the subsequent Belmont inbounds, Muszynski was unable to catch a pass along the sideline cleanly and Saint Louis was awarded possession with 12 seconds remaining.
Belmont defended Saint Louis well and forced Jimerson into a contested 3-point attempt which missed. However, the long rebound would go out of bounds and officials awarded Saint Louis possession with four seconds remaining.
Once more, Belmont hounded the Saint Louis inbounds play, with Murphy stealing the ball.
His two free throws with three seconds left provided the final margin.
When the horn sounded, Belmont players and coaches celebrated as if they were the last combatant standing; truly one of the most remarkable comeback victories in recent memory.
Belmont shot 57 percent from the field in the second half.
Meanwhile, Belmont held Saint Louis to 39 percent shooting and forced 14 Billiken turnovers.
Richard led three Bruins in double figures with 15 points and six rebounds.
Murphy had 14 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals.
Muszynski had 12 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots.
Jimerson led Saint Louis (7-3) with 21 points.
Belmont (8-3) returns to game action Dec. 15 vs. Chattanooga.
Belmont University men's basketball has earned postseason invitations 14 of the last 16 seasons, including nine berths to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins have won 20 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 rankings 11 consecutive seasons (BYU, Gonzaga, Saint Mary's (CA), San Diego State, Wichita State). Belmont is one of only four NCAA Division I programs to win 19 or more games 16 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, San Diego State). Belmont University men's basketball boasts an NCAA-leading 18 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
