Men's Basketball Drops Game at Bradley

PEORIA, Ill. - - Despite 23 points from Cade Tyson, Belmont University men's basketball dropped a 95-72 decision at Bradley Saturday afternoon from Carver Arena.
 
Tyson went 7-for-11 from the field and added eight rebounds and three assists.
 
Belmont won both meetings last season with the defending Missouri Valley Conference champion Braves – including a dramatic road victory on Ben Sheppard's game-winning shot.
 
Malik Dia scored nine of Belmont's first 12 points as the Bruins found early offensive pace and confidence in building a four-point lead.
 
Following a Bradley timeout, the hosts went on a 16-0 run – capped by a Darius Hannah conventional 3-point play – to lead 24-12 seven minutes in.
 
Belmont answered back with purpose, as Tyson and Jayce Willingham got the Bruins within 35-34 with 4:44 left in the first half.
 
Duke Deen helped Bradley close the first half on a 9-0 run to lead 44-34 at halftime.
 
Both teams shot well in the first half, with Bradley aided by 13 bench points and nine points off turnovers.
 
Belmont endured a tough start to the second half, as a Connor Hickman basket made the score 52-34 with 17:41 left.
 
Tyson and Willingham again carried the scoring torch to try and keep the Bruins within contact, but Bradley used good spacing, unselfish play and confident shotmaking to pull away.
 
Bradley would make 18 3-point field goals – the most ever against a Belmont team in the NCAA Division I era and the second-most in Bradley team history.
 
Tyson led three Bruins in double figures as Dia scored 20 points and Willingham added 12 points, six rebounds and five assists.
 
Deen led Bradley (14-5, 6-2 MVC) with 25 points.
 
Belmont (11-8, 4-4 MVC) returns to game action Tuesday at Illinois State.
 
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