Men's Basketball Hosts Lipscomb Wednesday in the 150th Battle of the Boulevard

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to game action Wednesday vs. Lipscomb.
 
Keishawn Davidson continued his fine play with 11 points and four assists Dec. 2 vs. Valparaiso. Davidson had a season-high 14 points at Northern Iowa.
 
He ranks 10th in career assists (530) among active players NCAA Division I players.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie ranks among league leaders in scoring, assists and leads the MVC in steals. He tied the Curb Event Center record with seven steals vs. Berry.
 
Gillespie had 14 points and five assists vs. Valparaiso.
 
Jayce Willingham has provided steady production this season, adding 12 points and eight rebounds vs. Valparaiso. He recorded his first Belmont double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Lafayette.
 
Malik Dia had a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds vs. Valparaiso. The sophomore forward has 79 points and 24 rebounds over his last four games.

Belmont turns the page after graduating program standout and Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard and sharpshooting forward Drew Friberg, among others. Sheppard and Friberg combined to make 177 3-point field goals last season, ranking among national leaders.

What's Bruin

• The Bruins went 21-11 last season, placing third in their inaugural season in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Isaiah Walker is the lone Bruin with more than two years of experience with the program.
• Belmont, Gonzaga, Kansas and San Diego State are the only NCAA Division I programs to win 19 or more games 18 consecutive seasons.
• Belmont, Gonzaga, Kansas and Oregon are the only NCAA Division I programs to win 20 or more games 13 consecutive seasons.
• Belmont's 416 victories since 2007 leads the state of Tennessee - including Tennessee, Memphis and Vanderbilt.
• Belmont has been a postseason fixture the last two decades. That includes NCAA Tournament appearances in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019 & 2020.
• Belmont has won 20 conference championships (eight tournament, 12 regular season) since 2006. Only Gonzaga and Kansas have won more conference championships over that span.
• 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 is the only school in the nation to win 20 or more games eight consecutive seasons in men's and women's basketball.
• Belmont, Gonzaga, Princeton 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.
• Since 2010, Belmont (2019) and Iona (2012) are the only two program to earn NCAA Tournament at-large bids from traditional one-bid leagues.
• Belmont has been ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 for 18 consecutive seasons, dating back to 2006.
• Belmont has received national poll votes in 11 of the last 13 seasons.
• Belmont will play up 13 games vs. teams who were Q1/Q2 in the final 2022-23 NET rankings.

 
Belmont head coach Casey Alexander spent six seasons (2013-19) as head coach at Lipscomb. Alexander led the Bisons to the best three-year stretch of their NCAA Division I era and the first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Lipscomb won 113 games during Alexander's tenure, including 72 over the final three campaigns. In his last season, Lipscomb won 29 games and reached the Postseason NIT Championship game.

Belmont associate head coach Brian Ayers played for Don Meyer at Lipscomb from 1989-93. Ayers coached with Alexander at Belmont from 1998-2011 and Lipscomb assistant Roger Idstrom from 2000-11.
 
Belmont assistant coach Sean Rutigliano spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Lipscomb on Alexander's staff. Rutigliano also spent two seasons as an assistant coach for Lennie Acuff at UAH.
 
Alexander coached two NBA players in the Battle of the Boulevard: Belmont's Ben Sheppard (Indiana Pacers) and Lipscomb's Garrison Mathews (Atlanta Hawks).
 
Cade Tyson and Jacob Ognacevic were named Preseason All-Conference.
 
This marks the 150th meeting between Belmont and Lipscomb.

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.
 
Fans are encouraged to park in the Curb Event Center garage or Compton Avenue South garage.
 
Elite Sports Medicine is the presenting gameday sponsor.
 
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