Walker's Heroics Lift Men's Basketball Past Lipscomb

??Cinematic Boulevard highlights for the ages.#ItsBruinTime pic.twitter.com/9mTxsTEHsY

— Belmont Basketball (@BelmontMBB) November 13, 2024

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - It never disappoints.
 
The faces may change.
 
But the uniforms, the intensity, and the drama stay the same.
 
The 151^st installment of the Battle of the Boulevard likely set a new standard.
 
In a game replete with emotion, shot making and plot twists, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Lipscomb, 80-79, Tuesday night from Allen Arena.
 
Isaiah Walker completed a conventional 3-point play with 3.0 seconds left to give the Bruins the lead, before Belmont dodged a final alley oop lob play as the horn sounded.
 
Belmont trailed 73-61 with 3:36 remaining before the Bruins scored a remarkable 19 points on its final seven offensive possessions, including Walker's decisive putback.
 
As is tradition when Belmont and Lipscomb reacquaint, the game was full of enormous momentum swings.
 
After Lipscomb scored the first five points of the game, Belmont rode the playmaking of Carter Whitt and strong bench contributions from Jonathan Pierre and Drew Scharnowski to take a four-point lead.
 
Both teams showcased physical halfcourt defense, with every dribble, pass, catch and shot fiercely contested.
 
Pierre continued his confident play with a 3-pointer to increase Belmont's lead to 22-17 13 minutes in.
 
Despite foul trouble from Brigham Rogers, Belmont maintained a lead going into the final media timeout.
 
After a few live ball turnovers got the Lipscomb offense going, Jacob Ognacevic and Will Pruitt gave the hosts a 30-27 lead.
 
But Pierre and Scharnowski combined to score Belmont's final 16 points of the first half as the Bruins led 33-32 at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 48 percent (15-for-31) from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
 
The Bisons used five first-half 3-pointers to stay well positioned.
 
Lipscomb made a concerted effort to feed Ognacevic in scoring positions, as the forward scored seven points in the first 83 seconds of the second half to give the Bisons the lead.
 
Belmont answered back as Sam Orme hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Bruins ahead, 41-39, with 17:46 left.
 
Over the next six minutes, there would be 11 lead changes, as the teams exchanged offensive haymakers.
 
Pierre and Brody Peebles carried the Belmont offense during the stretch, as a Peebles 3-pointer gave the Bruins a 55-53 edge with 12:07 left.
 
From there, Belmont endured a five-minute scoring drought, as live ball turnovers and missed shots fueled Lipscomb.
 
A Will Pruitt 3-pointer capped a 12-0 Lipscomb run and gave the home team a 65-55 lead with 7:42 remaining.
 
Following a Belmont timeout, Pierre and Walker delivered timely 3-pointers to reignite the Bruin offense.
 
But Lipscomb continued to exhibit patience and unselfishness offensively, working through Ognacevic and getting important bench contributions of its own.
 
A Miles White 3-pointer followed by a deep make from Ognacevic pushed the margin back to 10 with 4:56 left.
 
After a Belmont empty possession, Lipscomb found Dylan Faulkner inside as the lead grew to 73-61 going to the under-four timeout.
 
That is when Belmont produced one of the most electrifying offensive performances to close a game in recent memory – led by Whitt.
 
It began with a determined Whitt finish in traffic before Pruitt answered with a pair of free throws with 3:23 left.
 
From there, Whitt drove and found Orme for a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to get the Bruins back within single figures.
 
After a defensive stop, Whitt once again raced his way to the basket for a conventional 3-point play which suddenly made the score 75-69 with 2:30 remaining.
 
Following a Faulkner jump hook, Orme would again sink a 3-pointer off a well-timed Whitt feed to get Belmont within 77-72 at the 1:54 mark.

Lipscomb continued to exhibit patience and execution, with Faulkner sinking a tough baseline shot to increase the margin to seven.
 
Whitt was undeterred, bolting to the basket for another score as the Bruins got within 79-74 with 1:11 to go.
 
Lipscomb again wisely used the clock to minimize Belmont's possessions and freed Gyasi Powell for a 3-point attempt that rimmed off.
 
Walker secured the rebound, understandably found Whitt, who sped into the frontcourt and found Peebles for a 3-pointer in front of the Belmont bench to make the score 79-77 with 43 seconds left.
 
It was a jaw-dropping display of shot making, offensive efficiency and game management, as Belmont had dramatically made it a one-score game in less than three minutes.
 
Following the timeout, Lipscomb worked its offensive possession and looked for Ognacevic, who was unable to find post position against active Belmont defense.
 
Joe Anderson would take a contested 3-pointer late in the shot clock that rimmed off and Aidan Noyes would grab the rebound for the Bruins.
 
With the shot clock off, Whitt worked into the frontcourt, attacked inside the arc off the bounce, before finding Peebles in nearly the exact spot he had scored from moments earlier.
 
This time his potential go-ahead 3-point attempt with eight seconds left rimmed off.
 
Walker skied for the offensive rebound, took one power dribble towards the left block, and scored through contact with 3.0 seconds remaining to tie the score at 79.
 
The Belmont bench and sizable student section erupted.
 
Walker then calmly went to the free throw line and proceeded to have his free throw circumnavigate the rim, nearly come to rest on the heel of the rim, kiss the backboard, and gently fall in.
 
After a Lipscomb timeout, Belmont forced the Bisons to catch the basketball in the backcourt, with Anderson catching the ball 70 feet away, taking three dribbles into the frontcourt, and calling timeout with 1.1 seconds remaining.
 
From there, a lengthy review ensued to determine how much time was left on the clock and whether or not Lipscomb had called timeout before or after Anderson had worked into the frontcourt.
 
Ultimately, officials awarded Lipscomb the basketball in the frontcourt and placed 1.4 seconds on the clock.
 
Lipscomb's initial inbounds play was defended extremely well by Belmont, forcing the Bisons to take their final timeout.
 
With the crowd on its feet, Lipscomb proceeded to run an outstanding final play; sending Ognacevic to the near corner as a decoy, having Anderson back screen for Faulkner and a lob to the rim.
 
But Pruitt's entry pass was slightly mistimed and Faulkner was unable to catch as the horn sounded.
 
Allen Arena became a strange mix of Belmont jubilation and Lipscomb disbelief.
 
To put in perspective what Belmont had accomplished, the Bruins scored on each of its final seven possessions, made eight consecutive shots before Peebles' miss with eight seconds to go, and erased a 12-point deficit with 3:19 left all with Lipscomb not committing a turnover nor missing a free throw.
 
It conjured images of Belmont's remarkable Comeback in the Creek victory from 2009, as the Bruins rallied from an 18-point deficit with 3:21 remaining at Campbell to win 87-84.
 
All told, Belmont shot 52 percent (33-for-64) from the field – including 11-for-28 from 3-point distance.
 
The Bruins outrebounded Lipscomb, 41-27, and outscored Lipscomb, 17-6, in second-chance points.
 
Belmont also limited Lipscomb – which had made more free throws through its first three games than its opponents had attempted – to just eight free throw attempts.
 
Pierre led five Bruins in double figures with 20 points and 10 rebounds – his first NCAA Division I double-double.
 
Whitt had 13 points and six assists while Orme added 12 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots. Whitt scored or assisted on 16 straight points before Walker's game-winning putback.
 
Scharnowski scored a career-high 12 points.
 
Walker recorded his second career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Ognacevic led Lipscomb (2-2) with 28 points.
 
Belmont has won 19 of the last 22 games in the series.
 
11 of the last 14 games have been decided by single figures, with seven games decided on the final possessions – including each of the last three years.
 
Belmont (2-1) returns to game action Friday at Air Force.
 
Belmont season tickets 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 for 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 (behind Gonzaga and Kansas). Belmont has won 20 or more games in 14 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga, Kansas, and Oregon) and 19 or more games in 19 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga, Kansas, and 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 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 its existence. Belmont is the only NCAA Division I institution in America whose men's and women's basketball programs have won 20 or more games in nine consecutive seasons.