Men's Basketball Defeats Bradley in Holiday Hoops Classic

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball defeated Bradley, 63-60, Wednesday night from the Curb Event Center.
 
Keishawn Davidson's basket with 43 seconds left gave Belmont the lead to stay, before Ja'Kobi Gillespie came up with a heroic catch and dunk against Bradley extended defense.
 
Bradley entered the game having won six of seven games since the return of All-MVC forward Rienk Mast and ranked among the top defensive teams ever to play in the Curb Event Center.
 
Playing without standout freshman forward Cade Tyson, Belmont needed balanced scoring and a fast start.
 
It got both.
 
Sparked by Ben Sheppard, the Bruins made six of their first seven shots in taking a 16-10 lead less than five minutes in.
 
For perspective, Bradley had held seven of its previous eight opponents to 55 or fewer points.
 
Following a Gillespie layin, Bradley went on a 14-0 run over a four minute span to take the lead.
 
A Ja'Shon Henry basket gave the Braves a 28-20 lead with 9:25 left in the first half.
 
Belmont stabilized behind scores from Drew Friberg and Davidson to cut the margin to one.
 
Both teams struggled with turnovers late in the first half as defensive intensity and attention to detail ran high.
 
Bradley led 38-34 at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 50 percent (13-for-26) from the field in the opening 20 minutes – including 7-for-14 from 3-point distance.
 
Davidson and Friberg led Belmont with nine points each in the first half.
 
A Friberg 3-pointer got Belmont within 38-37 to open the second half, but four possessions to take the lead went by the boards and Bradley reasserted control.
 
Belmont also battled through some unfortunate sequences during the stretch – as a Connor Hickman 3-pointer bounced in off the back of the rim and a Gillespie shot mysteriously spun out.
 
Mast capped the run with a post score to give Bradley a 48-39 lead with 12:41 remaining.
 
Both teams were laboring to score in the halfcourt, and Belmont leaned on its defense, poise and leadership to respond.
 
After two free throws from Even Brauns, a Davidson jump shot sandwiched around two Friberg 3-pointers in a 49 second span got Belmont within 50-49 with 8:50 left.
 
From there, a Sheppard 3-pointer gave Belmont a 55-54 advantage with 6:26 to go – its first lead since 20-18.
 
After three more defensive stops, Brauns scored on the offensive glass to extend the Belmont lead to three with 4:59 left.
 
A Sheppard layin made the score 59-56 before two Malevy Leons baskets gave Bradley the lead with 1:47 remaining.
 
On Belmont's next possession, Isaiah Walker worked to keep several loose ball rebounds alive, ultimately giving the Bruins a fresh possession with 52 seconds left.
 
Following a timeout, Belmont turned to Davidson who made a tough, 12-footer late in the shot clock to give the Bruins a 61-60 lead with 43 seconds left.
 
Mast would then miss a contested shot in the lane with 24 seconds to go as Belmont secured the rebound.
 
Having to use its final timeout to preserve possession, Belmont was forced to inbound the ball full court against Bradley pressure defense.
 
A trusted passer, Friberg had difficulty finding a Bruin teammate to pass to.
 
Not wanting to risk a five-second violation, Friberg lofted a pass deep towards midcourt in the direction of Gillespie and Bradley defender Ville Tahvanainen.
 
Gillespie showcased his impressive athleticsm, seemingly skying to the Curb Event Center rafters to secure a contested catch.
 
He then eluded Tahvanainen's attempt at a reach in foul and drove for an unforgettable slam with 13 seconds left to extend the Belmont lead to three points.
 
As Bruin fans celebrated Gillespie's remarkable play, Belmont still had a final Bradley possession to defend.
 
And it was quite the sequence to defend.
 
Bradley ran a quick action to free Duke Deen for a 3-pointer with eight seconds left.
 
The off-balance shot missed but Bradley secured the long rebound.
 
Tahvanainen then found Hickman open for a right wing 3-pointer with five seconds left.
 
The shot touched every part of the rim and whirlpooled out, before going out of bounds.
 
After a monitor review, Bradley was awarded possession with 4.1 seconds remaining.
 
All the while, Belmont had only five team fouls in the second half, and was seeking an opportunity to utilize its foul to give before Bradley would receive free throws.
 
That opportunity never came.
 
Bradley then freed Deen in the far corner, but his 3-point attempt over a strong, recovering Sheppard contest rimmed off and the teams battled for the rebound as the horn sounded.
 
All told, Belmont shot 43 percent (23-for-54) from the field.
 
Belmont limited Bradley to eight second chance points.
 
Friberg led three Bruins in double figures with 21 points. He added six rebounds.
 
Davidson had 15 points and five assists.
 
Sheppard recorded 11 points, five rebounds and three steals.
 
Walker had a career-high tying seven rebounds.
 
Mast led Bradley (9-5, 2-1 MVC) with 12 points.
 
Belmont (9-5, 2-1 MVC) returns to game action Sunday, Jan. 1 at Southern Illinois.