Box Score EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - - Behind 22 points from junior Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio), Belmont University men's basketball defeated SIU Edwardsville, 94-62, Saturday.
Junior Grayson Murphy (Franklin, Tenn.) added 10 points, six rebounds and a season-high 12 assists as Belmont won its 17th consecutive game and became the first program in America to win 20 games this season.
Muszynski made his first three field goal attempts as Belmont seized control early.
The Bruins forced six SIU Edwardsville turnovers before the first media timeout and took a 14-4 lead on a basket from freshman Michael Shanks (Bentonville, Ark.).
3-pointers from sophomore EJ Bellinger (St. Peters, Mo.) and junior Tate Pierson, and a layin from sophomore Derek Sabin (Slinger, Wis.) gave Belmont a 25-10 lead 11 minutes in.
As Belmont's halfcourt defense forced contested shots, baskets from freshman Even Brauns (Iowa City, Iowa), freshman JaCobi Wood (Cleveland, Tenn.) and sophomore Ben Sheppard (Atlanta, Ga.) increased the margin to 23, 39-16, with 3:24 left in the first half.
12 Bruins scored in the first half as Belmont led 45-22 at halftime.
All told, Belmont shot 65 percent (38-of-58) from the field and scored 48 points in the paint.
Belmont handed out 31 assists on 38 made field goals.
Muszynski led four Bruins in double figures.
Wood had 13 points, while Murphy had 10 points and three steals.
Freshman Frank Jakubicek (Cary, Ill.) added a career-high 10.
Carlos Curtis led SIU Edwardsville (7-9, 5-5 OVC) with 20 points.
Belmont has won 32 of its last 33 games and 26 consecutive conference games.
Belmont has also won an NCAA-best 20 consecutive road/neutral games.
Belmont (20-1, 14-0 OVC) returns to game action Thursday vs. Eastern Kentucky.
Belmont University men's basketball has earned postseason invitations 14 of the last 15 seasons, including nine berths to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins have won 19 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 10 consecutive seasons (BYU, Gonzaga, Saint Mary's (CA), San Diego State, Wichita State). Belmont is one of only six NCAA Division I programs to win 19 or more games 15 consecutive seasons (Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan State, 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
