Men's Basketball Defeats Northern Iowa

CEDAR FALLS, IOWA - - In one of its most complete performances in recent memory, Belmont University men's basketball earned a 90-70 victory at Northern Iowa Wednesday night from the McLeod Center.
 
The Bruins earned a third consecutive victory – and improved to 3-0 all-time against the Panthers – behind an impressive blend of defense, unity and shotmaking.
 
Belmont held Northern Iowa to one field goal the first four-plus minutes of the game as four of the five Bruins started scored during a stirring 14-2 start.
 
Two more Cade Tyson 3-pointers extended the margin to 22-9 as the Bruins forced contested shots and rebounded with force.
 
The Bruins were active and purposeful; making effort plays at the rim and on the floor.
 
Keishawn Davidson and Malik Dia provided quality production off the bench, as five straight Dia points made the score 33-19 with 6:33 left in the first half.
 
After Nate Heise closed the margin to 33-29, Dia made a baseline jump shot and Tyson added a tough basket.
 
Belmont led 37-31 at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 48 percent (14-for-29) in the opening 20 minutes – including 5-for-12 from 3-point distance.
 
Tyson made another impressive move to open the second half before Brigham Rogers tacked on a layin as the Bruins maintained an eight-point lead.
 
Tytan Anderson scored inside to get Northern Iowa within 43-39 with 16:53 left, before Belmont responded.
 
A confident 3-pointer from Isaiah Walker sparked another huge Belmont run.
 
Featuring dazzling drives from Ja'Kobi Gillespie, determined Tyson finishes and more strong play from Dia and Davidson, the Bruins pushed the lead to 64-44 with 11:47 left on a Davidson straight-on 3-pointer.
 
Belmont's attentive team defense on Northern Iowa's outstanding guard duo of Bowen Born and Nate Heise forced the Panthers to make offensive adjustments.
 
The Bruins maintained defensive focus and consistency, as two Jayce Willingham free throws made the score 76-51 with 6:26 left.
 
All told, Belmont shot 53 percent (30-for-57) from the field – including 11-for-22 from 3-point distance.
 
Belmont outrebounded Northern Iowa, 38-27, and held the Panthers to four second-chance points.
 
The Bruins also limited Born and Heise to 5-for-19 shooting.
 
Tyson led four Bruins in double figures with 22 points and eight rebounds.
 
Gillespie had 18 points, three assists and three steals.
 
Dia had 16 points and four rebounds while Davidson had a season-high 14 points and two assists.
 
Willingham had nine points and five rebounds while Walker had eight points, eight rebounds, two assists and zero turnovers in an impressive floor game.
 
Trey Campbell led Northern Iowa (2-5, 0-1 MVC) with 13 points.
 
Belmont (5-3, 1-0 MVC) returns to game action Saturday vs. Valparaiso.
 
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. CT from the Curb Event Center. Game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play of Steve Layman can be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeartRadio. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.

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, single-game tickets 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 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