[rv/--] Belmont at [19/21] Murray State
Thursday, Feb. 24 | 8 p.m. CT
CFSB Center | Murray, Ky.
ESPN+ | Bruin Sports Network | Live Stats | Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - [rv/--] Belmont University men's basketball returns to game action Thursday at [19/21] Murray State.
Ben Sheppard scored a game-high 20 points Saturday.
Belmont ranks third nationally in victories since the start of the 2019-20 season, behind No. 1 Gonzaga and defending National Champion Baylor.
Belmont, which has won 10 straight games, became the first program in America to secure 20 or more victories in 12 consecutive seasons; Gonzaga and Kansas have since achieved, while Oregon has the opportunity to reach the standard.
This marks the first college basketball game in the 2021-22 season with two teams combining for 50 or more victories.
What's Bruin
- Belmont defeated SIUE, 73-62, Saturday.
- Grayson Murphy ranks second in assists and seventh in steals among all active players in college basketball. He is one of only six active players to record multiple triple-doubles. The 6-3 guard went over 1,000 career points on a steal and score in the second half vs. Furman. Murphy became the Ohio Valley Conference all-time career leader in assists at Eastern Illinois, and is on pace to become the OVC all-time career leader in steals. Murphy recorded his 18th career double-double with 13 assists and 11 rebounds vs. UT Martin. He scored the game-winning basket with 5.0 seconds remaining vs. Morehead State. Murphy recorded his second career triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists at SIUE earlier this season.
- Luke Smith has 81 career double figure scoring games. The 6-0 guard was named Preseason All-OVC after earning OVC All-Newcomer Team and DC Paradise Jam Most Valuable Player honors last season. Smith had a team-high 20 points vs. Furman and 23 points at SIUE. He ranks among OVC leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Nick Muszynski is second among all active frontcourt players with 102 career double figure scoring games (Grant Golden, Richmond). The 6-11 center, named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List, averaged 24.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 blocked shots per game in the ESPN Events Invitational in earning All-Tournament Team honors. With 1,841 points, Muszynski is on pace to challenge Evan Bradds' NCAA Division I era career scoring record (1,921 points). He and Murphy were named to the Lou Henson Player of the Year Award Midseason Watch List. The Pickerington, Ohio native is the only active player in college basketball with at least 1,800 points, 600 rebounds, 250 assists and 200 blocked shots, and joins the likes of Tim Duncan (Wake Forest), David West (Xavier) and Nick Collison (Kansas) over the last 30 years to reach the standard. Muszynski scored a career-high 33 points at Tennessee Tech. Muszynski is averaging 16.0 points per game in seven career games vs. Murray State. He had the game-saving blocked shot in the final seconds of last year's 72-71 victory at Murray State.
- Ben Sheppard scored a career-high 41 points at Tennessee Tech. He had 25 points vs. Iona. Sheppard scored in double figures in each of Belmont's first 10 games and has a team-leading 27 double figure scoring games this season. The 6-6 guard has emerged as Belmont's top two-way player. Sheppard had the go-ahead free throw with 13 seconds remaining in last year's 72-71 victory at Murray State.
- Will Richard had 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals vs. SIUE en route to OVC Freshman of the Week honors. He recorded 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds vs. Drake, becoming one of the fastest Belmont players to post a double-double. The Fairburn, Georgia native ranks second in the OVC and 19th nationally in scoring among true freshmen. He also ranks OVC freshmen leaders in rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots.
- Belmont and Murray State rank first or second in the OVC in 27 statistical categories. The Bruins and Racers are 1-2 in the OVC in offensive and defensive efficiency per Ken Pomeroy.
- Belmont and Murray State boast four of the greatest players in recent OVC history, each of whom went on to the NBA; Belmont: Ian Clark, Dylan Windler; Murray State: Isaiah Canaan, Ja Morant. In 2019, Windler and Morant became the 10th and 11th NBA first-round draft choices in OVC history.
- In the 2020 OVC Championship at the Ford Center, Tyler Scanlon ('20) sank a reverse layin with 3.8 seconds left as Belmont defeated Murray State, 76-75, to secure the Bruins' ninth NCAA Tournament bid.
- In the 2015 OVC Championship at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Taylor Barnette ('15) sank a three-pointer with 3.2 seconds remaining to lift Belmont to a dramatic 88-87 victory over [25/24] Murray State to secure the Bruins' seventh NCAA Tournament berth in 10 years. Barnette's shot was named ESPN/Capital One Impact Performance of Championship Week and was an ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 play for March. Barnette is a member of the coaching staff at Louisville.
- In the 2013 OVC Championship at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Kerron Johnson ('13) sank the game-tying and game-winning shots to lift Belmont over Murray State and into the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Johnson currently plays for Spojnia Stargard in Poland.
- Belmont assistant coach Tyler Holloway was a four-year letterwinner at Murray State from 2006-09. Holloway scored 1,083 career points, and played three seasons for former Murray State head coach Steve Prohm when Prohm served as an assistant coach to Billy Kennedy.
- Former Belmont director of athletics Mike Strickland held the same position at Murray State from 1987-96.
- Murray State associate athletic director Scott Barnhart ('16) was a four-year letterwinner on the Belmont men's golf team.
- Belmont went 26-4 last season, claiming its 12th regular season conference championship in 16 years, seventh in nine years of OVC membership. The Bruins entered Selection Sunday with the most wins in America (with Gonzaga).
- Belmont returns 97 percent of its offensive production and minutes from last season. All-OVC performers Nick Muszynski and Grayson Murphy stand among the most accomplished players at their respective positions in college basketball.
- Belmont, Gonzaga and Buffalo are the only three programs outside the power conferences to win NCAA Tournament games in men's and women's basketball since 2019.
- Belmont and BYU were the only two programs outside the power conferences to receive Preseason AP Top 25 poll votes in men's and women's basketball.
- Belmont will join the Missouri Valley Conference July 1, 2022.
The Belmont-Murray State series has quickly become one of the most compelling in college basketball, with the programs combining on 17 conference championships and eight OVC players of the year since Belmont joined the OVC in 2013.
This marks the 23rd meeting between Belmont and Murray State. Belmont has won 11 of the 17 meetings in OVC play.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play of Steve Layman can be heard on the Bruin Sports Network, with an extended pre-game show at 7:30 p.m. CT. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.
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 has won 20 or more games in 12 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, Oregon). 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 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
