ST. THOMAS, USVI - - Behind a season-high 27 points from
Ben Sheppard and torrid first-half shooting, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Howard, 96-73, Monday on the final day of the Paradise Jam.
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Sheppard spearheaded a 14-0 run to give Belmont a 16-4 lead five and a half minutes in.
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Howard closed within 24-21 on free throws from Jelani Williams before Belmont unleashed another huge scoring run.
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Five Bruins scored during a 21-5 spurt, highlighted by nine Sheppard points and a
Drew Friberg turnaround that made the score 45-26 with 2:42 left in the half.
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Belmont led 47-34 at halftime.
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Belmont shot 53 percent (16-for-30) from the field in the opening 20 minutes – including 8-for-12 from 3-point distance.
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Sheppard led Belmont with 18 first-half points.
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Belmont also started the second half in spirited fashion, combining defensive stops with consecutive scores from
Ja'Kobi Gillespie,
Even Brauns and Sheppard to lead 53-34 with 18:41 left.
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From there, Howard emptied its bench and received a spark from seldomly-used players.
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Behind the play Elijah Hawkins and Marcus Dockery, Howard got within 61-53 with 11:02 to go.
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The Bruins reasserted command behind Gillespie's all-court game, as he scored and set up teammates during a strong response midway through the second half.
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Belmont free throws and another clutch Sheppard 3-pointer pushed the margin to 15, 77-62, with 6:27 left.
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The two teams combined to shoot 41 free throws in the second half, as Belmont demonstrated poise and unity in closing the game.
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Freshman
Isaiah Walker and
Jake Dykstra notably made big contributions down the stretch, with Dykstra scoring the first four points of his college career.
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All told, Belmont shot 53 percent (30-for-58) from the field. The Bruins scored 19 points off 15 Howard turnovers.
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Sheppard led four Bruins in double figures with 27 points. He added five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
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Friberg added 14 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Gillespie shined with 13 points, eight assists and one turnover.
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Brauns had a season-high 13 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots.
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Hawkins and Dockery each scored 15 points for Howard (3-5).
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Belmont (3-3) returns to game action Sunday, Nov. 27 at Georgia State. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play of Steve Layman can be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeartRadio. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.
Belmont season tickets, which include the entire men's and women's basketball home schedule, are on sale now atÂ
BelmontBruins.com/Tickets, in addition to Puckett's flex packs, single-game tickets and group experiences. Fans can also call or text 615.460.BALL (2255).
To become a Bruin Club member, contact Russell Grimm at (615) 460-5668 orÂ
russell.grimm@belmont.edu.
Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via theÂ
official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Belmont University men's basketball has earned postseason invitations 15 of the last 17 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 has won 20 or more games in 12 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, Oregon). Belmont is one of only five NCAA Division I programs outside the Power 5 to post Top 100 rankings 12 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Saint Mary's (CA), San Diego State, Wichita State). Belmont University men's basketball boasts an NCAA-leading 19Â CoSIDAÂ 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
