Total Team Effort as Men's Basketball Wins at Penn

Box Score PHILADELPHIA - - Behind a career-high 27 points from Malik Dia, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Penn, 84-79, in overtime Saturday from The Palestra.
 
Dia went 10-for-15 from the field and added eight rebounds and three steals as the Bruins won on the same historic floor Penn had defeated nationally-ranked Villanova 12 days earlier.
 
Belmont took control during a 13-0 first half run.
 
Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Jayce Willingham, Dia, and Keishawn Davidson all scored as Belmont held Penn to one field goal during an eight-minute stretch.
 
A Kyler Vanderjagt basket extended the lead to nine, 18-9, with 11:14 left in the first half.
 
As Gillespie chased Penn leading scorer Clark Slajchert all over the floor, the Bruins controlled the backboards against a Quaker team that had outrebounded every previous opponent this season.
 
Nine straight Dia points made the score 32-20.
 
Belmont led 37-27 at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 48 percent (14-for-29) from the field in the opening 20 minutes – including 5-for-12 from 3-point distance.
 
Dia had 18 first-half points.
 
Five Cade Tyson points and a Gillespie 3-pointer increased the margin to 45-33 with 17:32 left.
 
Penn found an offensive rhythm in the second half behind Tyler Perkins as his free throw got the Quakers within 45-41.
 
Gillespie answered with a conventional 3-point play and five more Tyson points made the score 59-54 with 8:27 remaining.
 
Consecutive Slajchert 3-pointers gave Penn a 64-63 lead - its first since 6-5 – with 5:43 left.
 
But Gillespie once again responded with a big play – a 3-pointer of his own – to put Belmont back on top.
 
A corner Tyson 3-pointer gave Belmont a 69-66 lead with 4:20 remaining before both teams elevated their defensive unity.
 
After two Slajchert free throws got Penn within one, Belmont delivered two big defensive stops to maintain the lead with under one minute remaining.
 
Following a timeout, Gillespie drove late in the possession and freed Dia for a wing 3-pointer with 41 seconds left to give Belmont a 72-68 lead.
 
After a Slajchert baseline jump shot, Penn fouled Davidson with 23 seconds left.
 
Davidson, among active NCAA leaders in free throw percentage, rimmed out the front end of a one-and-one at the line and Perkins secured the rebound.
 
Slajchert then banked home an off-balance shot with 13 seconds left to tie the game at 72.
 
Belmont turned to Gillespie, who drove and found Isaiah Walker at the rim.
 
Walker was fouled in the act of shooting with 3.3 seconds left.
 
The typically-reliable Walker missed both free throws and the game went to overtime.
 
Undeterred, Belmont impressively reasserted itself to open overtime.
 
Dia scored a jump shot and post move as Belmont took a 76-72 lead.
 
After an exchange of defensive stops and a Nick Spinoso basket, Tyson finished a tough drive in traffic to push the lead back to four.
 
Tyson added two more free throws after a determined offensive rebound to make the score 80-74 with 1:34 left in overtime.
 
Following two Slajchert free throws, Gillespie finished along the baseline to make the score 82-76 with 59 seconds left.
 
Moments later, Perkins scored and completed a conventional 3-point play with 51 seconds left.
 
Belmont worked its next offensive possession, ultimately freeing Tyson for a deep corner 3-pointer that rimmed out.
 
Penn got the defensive rebound and called timeout in the frontcourt.
 
Looking for a game-tying 3-pointer, Penn was hounded by the Bruins on the perimeter and as Spinoso looked for Perkins and Slajchert, his pass went into the backcourt for a turnover with six seconds left.
 
Tyson added two free throws to provide the final margin.
 
All told, Belmont shot 51 percent (31-for-61) from the field – including 11-for-29 from 3-point distance.
 
Dia led three Bruins in double figures with 27 points.
 
Tyson had 26 points, five rebounds and three assists.
 
Gillespie had 16 points, five rebounds and three assists.
 
Perkins led Penn (4-3) with 25 points.
 
Belmont (3-3) returns to game action Sunday vs. Lafayette. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT.
 
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play can be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeartRadio. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.

Belmont University men's basketball has been a postseason fixture the last two decades, 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 13 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, Oregon) and 19 or game games in 18 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, San Diego State). Belmont is among select programs with two or more first-round selections in the NBA Draft over the last five years (Ben Sheppard, Dylan Windler). 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