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HOME OF the BELMONT BRUINS
team
Ben Denton
80
Oral Roberts ORU 2-3,0-0 Summit League
90
Winner Belmont BEL 4-1,0-0 MVC
Oral Roberts ORU
2-3,0-0 Summit League
80
Final
90
Belmont BEL
4-1,0-0 MVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Oral Roberts ORU 45 35 80
Belmont BEL 31 59 90

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's Basketball Defeats Oral Roberts

Lundblade, Pierre Lead Inspired Second-Half Charge

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Behind a career-high 25 points from Tyler Lundblade, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Oral Roberts, 90-80, Tuesday night from the Curb Event Center.
 
Lundblade went 7-for-9 from the field, scoring 22 points in the second half as the Bruins overcame a 17-point deficit.
 
It was the second straight Tuesday Belmont delivered breathtaking offense down the stretch; after scoring 19 points in the final 3:35 to defeat Lipscomb Nov. 12, on this evening Belmont would make its final 12 field goals of the game and score on 17 of its final 19 offensive possessions to earn the victory.
 
It would not come easily, as the Bruins worked through another uncharacteristically poor start.
 
10 early points from Sam Alajiki propelled Oral Roberts to a 20-8 lead less than seven minutes into the game.
 
Four different Belmont starters scored as the Bruins responded with an 8-0 run.
 
In fact, Lundblade, Carter Whitt, and Brigham Rogers would score in succession to get Belmont within 28-27 with 5:38 left in the half.
 
But Oral Roberts closed the first half on a 17-4 run. Alajiki delivered a four-point play and a conventional 3-point play as the visitors led 45-31 at halftime.
 
Belmont simply did not have momentum or requisite aggression in the first half. And despite forcing nine Oral Roberts turnovers and grabbing five offensive rebounds, the Bruins were unable to take advantage of those scoring opportunities.
 
Sam Orme led Belmont with seven first-half points.
 
The Bruins had to weather an unfortunate start to the second half as well, as Alajiki made a baseline 3-pointer before Belmont rimmed out two promising looks.
 
Consecutive 3-pointers from Jonathan Pierre energized the Belmont crowd and made the score 50-37 with 17:34 left.
 
Belmont stacked defensive stops together and got within single figures on a Pierre putback.
 
The momentum continued as seven Lundblade points and a Rogers slam capped a 20-5 run and got Belmont within 55-54 with 10:30 left.
 
After a Jalen Miller basket, a Pierre drive, and a Brody Peebles layin gave Belmont a 58-57 lead with 8:42 remaining – the Bruins' first lead since 2-0.
 
Oral Roberts standout guard Issac McBride would assume a greater offensive role in the second half, as his drives and assists would answer Bruin scores.
 
Belmont exhibited tremendous offensive efficiency and execution down the stretch.
 
A pair of Lundblade 3-pointers and a twisting Lundblade reverse layin made the score 70-67 with 5:03 left.
 
The Bruins would get three big defensive stops around the under-four media timeout, as a basket from Orme and free throws from Pierre and Rogers extended the lead to six, 75-69, with 3:31 left.
 
After Isaiah Walker secured a tough defensive rebound in traffic, he would receive a backdoor pass from Pierre and slam to increase the margin to eight points.
 
Whitt would then deliver consecutive driving scores before an enormous Lundblade 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining made it a three-score game.
 
Belmont went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 47 seconds to secure the outcome.
 
Beyond making its final 12 shots of the game, Belmont shot 65 percent from the field in the second half.
 
The Bruins scored 59 second-half points while limiting Oral Roberts to 38 percent shooting after halftime.
 
Belmont outrebounded Oral Roberts, 39-29, and handed out 17 assists on 31 made field goals.
 
Lundblade led four Belmont players in double figures with 25 points. Pierre posted his fourth career double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Whitt had 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. Peebles also scored 11.
 
Alajiki led Oral Roberts (2-3) with 28 points.
 
Belmont returns to game action Tuesday, Nov. 26 vs. Loyola Marymount in the Cancun Challenge.
 
NOTES: Belmont leads the series with Oral Roberts, 3-2…Lundblade scored eight career points in two seasons at TCU…He scored 22 points in the second half…Belmont's 59-point second half was five points shy of the Bruins' single-half scoring record in the Curb Event Center; Belmont has scored 64 points in a half at the Curb Event Center three times…Rogers had seven points, four rebounds, two blocked shots and a +21…Belmont made 13 of its last 14 free throw attempts.
 
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.
   
 
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