Sheppard Game-Winner Lifts Men's Basketball Over Bradley

PEORIA, Ill. - - Ben Sheppard's driving basket with 3.3 seconds left lifted Belmont University men's basketball to a dramatic 78-76 victory at Bradley Saturday afternoon from the Peoria Civic Center at Carver Arena.
 
Sheppard had a game-high 23 points, six rebounds and three assists as Belmont snapped Bradley's 17-game home court win streak – the third-longest in the nation behind Auburn and UCLA.
 
Moreover, Bradley entered play having outscored its previous 10 home opponents this season by over 28 points per game, holding the opposition to 53 points per game.
 
It was an inauspicious start for Belmont, as Bradley scored the first eight points of the game as starting center Even Brauns picked up two personal fouls in the first two minutes.
 
3-pointers from Sheppard and EJ Bellinger and bench contributions from Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Frank Jakubicek stabilized things for the Bruins.
 
Cade Tyson proceeded to score 11 points in a four-minute span as Belmont led 23-21 with 7:21 left in the first half.
 
Bradley responded with a 3-pointer from Rienk Mast and a banked 3-pointer from Zek Montgomery to regain a 32-25 lead.
 
The entertaining, back-and-forth game saw Belmont answer back with a 3-pointer from Drew Friberg and a Keishawn Davidson conventional 3-point play to cut the margin to one.
 
After a Sheppard drive, Jakubicek scored an offensive rebound basket as Bradley led 40-37 at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 41 percent (14-for-34) from the field in the opening 20 minutes – including 6-for-13 from 3-point distance.
 
Belmont forced seven Bradley turnovers in the first half and received 11 bench points.
 
The free-flowing, end-to-end action continued in the second half, as two 3-pointers from Friberg and one from Sheppard gave Belmont a 46-45 lead with 17:46 left.
 
Belmont stayed efficient and unselfish as Brauns, Davidson and Friberg each scored to push the margin to four, 56-52, with 13:38 remaining.
 
Each possession took on enormous significance as the game wore on, with both teams playing and executing at a high level.
 
Sheppard free throws and a Tyson basket made the score 60-57 with 9:59 left.

Jakubicek would finish consecutive feeds from Davidson as Bradley found a rhythm behind the play of Mast and Connor Hickman.
 
A Hickman 3-pointer tied the score at 64 with 8:43 to go.
 
After one Michael Shanks free throw put Belmont ahead 65-64, two free throws from Ja'Shon Henry and a Ville Tahvanainen 3-pointer gave Bradley a 69-65 lead with 6:55 left.
 
A tough Davidson step back jump shot cut the margin in half before a Malevy Leons basket and Henry free throws increased the margin to six with 4:30 remaining.
 
As Brauns and Tyson managed foul trouble, Sheppard and the Belmont defense rose up.
 
Consecutive defensive stops and four Sheppard free throws got Belmont within 73-71 with 2:14 left.
 
Then after Tyson rebounded a Mast missed hook shot in the lane, Sheppard sped past the entire Bradley defense for a driving layin to tie the score at 73.
 
Henry made one free throw with 1:18 left to put Bradley back on top, before Sheppard rimmed out a 3-point attempt.
 
After Bradley secured the rebound – and with Belmont switching defenses – Davidson was whistled for a difficult foul call away from the basket with 40 seconds remaining.
 
Leons made two free throws to give Bradley a 76-73 lead.
 
From there, Belmont ran its offense to perfection, freeing Friberg for a 3-pointer to tie the score at 76 with 35 seconds left.
 
Following a timeout, as Bradley worked the ball into the frontcourt, Montgomery lost control of the basketball and Brauns secured possession for Belmont.
 
With the shot clock off, Belmont communicated a set play and freed Sheppard.
 
The guard drove the right side of the lane and made a contested shot through a sea of Bradley defenders with 3.3 seconds left.
 
Bradley inbounded to Hickman who missed a contested halfcourt shot at the buzzer.
 
All told, Belmont shot 42 percent (28-for-66) from the field – including 12-for-27 from 3-point distance.
 
Belmont scored 14 points off 12 Bradley turnovers and limited the hosts to 37 percent shooting in the second half.
 
Sheppard led four Bruins in double figures with 23 points.
 
Tyson and Friberg each scored 15.
 
Jakubicek scored a career-high 10.
 
Davidson had seven points and seven assists.
 
Mast led Bradley (13-8, 6-4 MVC) with 23 points.
 
Belmont (15-6, 8-2 MVC) returns to game action Wednesday at Evansville.

Belmont season tickets, which include the entire men's and women's basketball home schedule, are on sale now at BelmontBruins.com/Tickets, in addition to Puckett's flex packs, mini plans, single-game tickets - including Jan. 29 vs. Drake HERE 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 or russell.grimm@belmont.edu.

Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the 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 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