Men's Basketball Falls at [rv/rv] Drake

Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball dropped a 65-46 decision at [rv/rv] Drake Sunday afternoon from the Knapp Center.
 
Belmont led 13-10 six minutes into the game before enduring a stretch of missed shots and live ball turnovers as Drake built a working margin.
 
A Bennett Stirtz transition slam gave Drake a 23-13 lead with 7:07 left in the first half.
 
Belmont, which entered play Top 50 nationally in 2-point and 3-point field goal percentage averaging 84.1 points per game, unexpectedly struggled to finish around the rim against Drake's No. 5 ranked scoring defense.
 
The Bruins got scores from Drew Scharnowski and Jonathan Pierre before Daniel Abreu had a 3-point field goal attempt hit the backboard and rim and fall in as Drake led 39-21 at halftime.
 
Belmont committed an uncharacteristic 12 first-half turnovers which led to 18 Drake points.
 
Sam Orme and Tyler Lundblade made strong contributions after the break, as the Bruins played a much cleaner and purposeful second half.
 
But each time Belmont looked to close within single figures, Stirtz or Abreu would deliver at the end of the shot clock.
 
Orme led Belmont with 11 points and four rebounds. Brody Peebles had 10.
 
Stritz led Drake (12-0, 2-0 MVC) with 20 points.
 
Drake is one of four remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division I men's basketball (Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma) and has won 28 consecutive home games – the nation's second-longest home-court win streak (Houston, 29).
 
Belmont (9-4, 1-1 MVC) returns to game action Wednesday at Northern Iowa.
 
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.