Brauns Powers Men's Basketball Past Illinois State

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Behind 18 points and 12 rebounds from Even Brauns, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Illinois State, 90-75, Saturday from the Curb Event Center.
 
Brauns went 6-for-9 from the field and added three assists as part of his third double-double of the season.
 
Ben Sheppard added 17 points and three steals as Belmont led from start to finish.
 
Belmont held Illinois State scoreless for a five-minute stretch of the first half, as Frank Jakubicek scored off a Sheppard assist to cap a 15-0 run and give Belmont a 28-11 lead.
 
Though the Bruins played through an uncharacteristically cold first half from 3-point distance, the team showcased purpose and aggression in pursuit of the basketball, grabbing 10 offensive rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Ja'Kobi Gillespie led strong bench production as driving layins and assists to Belmont's frontcourt players enabled Belmont to maintain a double figure lead.
 
Consecutive Gillespie baskets helped Belmont to a 44-33 halftime lead.
 
Belmont shot 49 percent (18-for-37) from the field in the opening 20 minutes. The Bruins outscored Illinois State, 30-14, in the paint in the first half.
 
Sheppard and Brauns each had 10 first-half points.
 
As Illinois State made defensive adjustments to start the second half, Keishawn Davidson provided two straight driving baskets to make the score 48-35 with 18:15 left.
 
From there, Drew Friberg made four straight 3-point field goals in a 113-second span as the advantage grew to 19, 60-41, with 14:06 left.
 
Seven straight points from Cade Tyson and back-to-back transition dunks from Brauns gave Belmont a 73-48 lead with 9:59 remaining.
 
All told, Belmont shot 53 percent (34-for-64) from the field – including 59 percent in the second half.
 
Belmont outrebounded Illinois State – the second-best rebounding team in the Missouri Valley Conference – 39-24.
 
Tyson had 16 points and seven rebounds while Friberg had 14 points and six rebounds.
 
Davidson and Gillespie each had eight points and five assists.
 
Darius Burford led Illinois State (10-15, 5-9 MVC) with 15 points.
 
Belmont (17-8, 10-4 MVC), which remains in a first-place tie in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, returns to game action Wednesday at Missouri State.

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