Bench Sparks Men's Basketball in Road Victory at Valparaiso

VALPARAISO, Ind. - - Behind huge bench contributions, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Valparaiso, 74-59, Tuesday night.
 
Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored a career-high 15 points as the Bruins had a season-high 33 bench points with 12 players in the scorebook.
 
Belmont scored six of the first eight points before Valparaiso took a 13-8 lead on a Kobe King basket.
 
Sensing his team needed an injection of energy, Belmont head coach Casey Alexander inserted five new player and received instant production.
 
Within a two-minute span, forward Michael Shanks provided a blocked shot, a steal, a charge and an assist as his hustle plays completely changed the tenor of the game.
 
Gillespie capped the game-changing 17-0 run with a steal and score as Belmont led 32-17 with 5:12 left in the first half.
 
Valparaiso got within 36-30 on an Ibra Bayu basket before Gillespie gave Belmont an eight-point lead at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 47 percent (15-for-32) from the field in the opening 20 minutes – and forced eight Valparaiso turnovers – the Beacons entered play best in the Missouri Valley Conference in offensive turnover rate.
 
Even Brauns scored five points early in the second half around a Ben Sheppard jump shot as Belmont extended the lead to 12, 48-36, with 16:40 left.
 
The Bruins made the Valparaiso high scoring duo of Ben Krikke and Kobe King work, as contested shots and deflected passes ruled the day.
 
Scores from Shanks, Isaiah Walker, Gillespie, Brauns and Sheppard in succession gave Belmont a 59-43 lead with 12:08 to go.
 
As Valparaiso changed defenses to try and work back into the game, Belmont demonstrated patience, unselfishness and resolve in working for high percentage shots down the stretch.
 
All told, Belmont shot 53 percent (30-for-57) from the field – including 60 percent in the second half.
 
Gillespie led three Bruins in double figures with 15 points. He also had six assists, two rebounds, two steals and zero turnovers.
 
Sheppard had 13 points, three rebounds and four assists while Brauns contributed 13 points and four blocked shots.
 
King led Valparaiso (6-12, 0-7 MVC) with 17 points.
 
Belmont (12-6, 5-2 MVC) returns to game action Saturday vs. Northern Iowa. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. from the Curb Event Center.

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 19 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