Men's Basketball Drops Hard-Fought Game at Southern Illinois

CARBONDALE, Ill. - - In an intense game characterized by spirited, physical play, Belmont University men's basketball dropped a 73-63 decision at Southern Illinois Tuesday night from Banterra Center.
 
Malik Dia roared into 2024, scoring Belmont's first 10 points within the opening 3:50.
 
It included a rare double foul on Dia and Southern Illinois star point guard Xavier Johnson at the 17:50 mark.
 
After a Ja'Kobi Gillespie steal, Dia appeared to score an and-one over Johnson. While one official whistled a foul on Johnson, another official whistled an offensive foul on Dia and both fouls were honored.
 
Belmont led 10-9 before hustle plays from Trent Brown and five points from AJ Ferguson pushed the hosts to a five-point lead.
 
A Gillespie 3-pointer and a jump shot from Kyler Vanderjagt kept Belmont within one possession.
 
Johnson scored five consecutive points during a stretch where both teams were getting defensive stops as Southern Illinois extended to an eight-point lead.
 
A Brigham Rogers score and a Dia 3-point play got the Bruins within 26-23. More strong Belmont defense and scores from Isaiah Walker and Gillespie tied the score at 28 with 1:47 left in the first half.
 
That's when things got surreal.
 
Following another Bruin defensive stop, Belmont found Dia along the baseline. He spun and scored a contested basket through contact as the whistle blew. But rather than another conventional 3-point play opportunity, Dia was called for a traveling violation.
 
Belmont head coach Casey Alexander then received two technical fouls in immediate succession and was ejected from the game with 1:15 left in the first half.
 
Johnson proceeded to make four free throws to give Southern Illinois the lead.
 
The sequence shifted a potential three-point Belmont lead into a four-point deficit.
 
After a Bruin empty possession, Johnson added his 10^th free throw of the first half to make the score 36-30.
 
Cade Tyson delivered a clutch 3-pointer to close the first half scoring and get the Bruins within 36-33.

Belmont limited Southern Illinois to 10-for-28 shooting in the first half and forced six turnovers.
 
The Bruins outrebounded Southern Illinois, 22-17, as Dia led Belmont with 14 points and five rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Belmont and the coaching staff started the second half strong, as a Tyson 3-pointer and consecutive emphatic dunks from Dia highlighted an 8-0 run to give Belmont a 39-36 lead with 17:21 left.
 
Ferguson put Southern Illinois back on top with a driving conventional 3-point play – on which Dia picked up his third personal foul with 15:34 left – before the Bruins pushed on.
 
Five Tyson points and two Rogers free throws gave Belmont a 46-41 lead with 13:22 left.
 
From there, Southern Illinois received a lift from reserve post player Scottie Ebube, who scored six consecutive points to put the hosts ahead. Brown would add a transition 3-pointer to give Southern Illinois a 52-48 lead with 9:42 left.
 
Walker sank a timely wing 3-pointer to get Belmont within one point before Ebube scored two more interior baskets.
 
Vanderjagt and Gillespie got the Bruins within 58-55 with 6:28 left before another Southern Illinois post player delivered a tough blow.
 
Clarence Rupert, a veteran who earned a name for himself as part of St. Peter's 2022 Elite 8 team, made just the seventh 3-point field goal of his career at the end of the shot clock to extend the margin to 61-55.
 
Dia and Tyson kept the Bruins within reach, before a promising backdoor layin attempt to Walker in the final minute that would have cut the margin to four points was blocked by Ferguson at the rim.
 
Southern Illinois made four free throws in the final 36 seconds left to provide the final margin.
 
All told, Belmont limited Southern Illinois to 40 percent shooting but the hosts went 23-for-24 from the free throw line.
 
Belmont handed out 15 assists and forced 13 turnovers.
 
Dia led Belmont with 25 points and seven rebounds. Tyson had 13 points, three rebounds and two steals.
 
Gillespie added eight points, six assists and four steals.
 
Belmont also limited Johnson – the nation's leading scorer – to 3-for-11 shooting.
 
Belmont (9-5, 2-1 MVC) returns to game action Jan. 4 vs. Drake. Tip-off is 2 p.m. CT from the Curb Event Center.
 
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.

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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