Men's Basketball Drops Seesaw Affair at Missouri State

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - - Despite a season-high 22 points from Keishawn Davidson, Belmont University men's basketball dropped another back-and-forth game, 87-80, at Missouri State Saturday from Great Southern Bank Arena.
 
The Bruins earned defensive stops on their first four possessions, getting a basket from Jayce Willingham and a Davidson 3-pointer to lead 5-0.
 
In fact, Belmont nearly had a 9-0 start but two shots within the restricted area rimmed off after the first two scores.
 
Missouri State leading scorer Alston Mason got the Bears on the board but Belmont would do an outstanding job limiting him to only one made field goal over the next 31 minutes.
 
Belmont standout guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie saw his first action in a month, coming off the bench and providing an instant spark.
 
His twisting layin gave Belmont a 10-7 lead six minutes in.
 
The Bruins relied on active defense and patient offense to build the lead.
 
After a Cesare Edwards basket, Davidson and Gillespie combined to score all nine points during a 9-0 run that made the score 23-14 with 9:22 left in the first half.
 
Missouri State got a huge lift off the bench from Chance Moore; the talented Arkansas transfer who had scored just 12 points over a five-game stretch prior to Wednesday, burst for nine points that got Missouri State within 26-21.
 
After a baseline dunk from Brigham Rogers off a Gillespie assist and another confident Davidson 3-pointer, Belmont led 31-21.
 
Belmont had a strong first 14 minutes before a stretch of quick shots and disjointed possessions fueled a Missouri State response.
 
Damien Mayo helped the Bears take a 34-32 lead.
 
Belmont answered with another strong finish from Gillespie and a Dia 3-pointer to lead 37-36 at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 41 percent (13-for-32) from the field in the opening 20 minutes – including 8-for-13 from 3-point distance.
 
The Bruins scored 14 points off 10 Missouri State turnovers.
 
Davidson scored 13 first-half points.
 
But an inauspicious start to the second half put Belmont in a hole.
 
A Raphe Ayers 3-pointer and baskets from NJ Benson and Donovan Clay gave Missouri State a 43-37 lead with 18:46 left.
 
Gillespie and Rogers kept Belmont within one score before a Dia 3-pointer tied the score at 54 with 12:03 remaining.
 
Reenergized defense powered the Belmont run as scores from Dia and Davidson pushed the Bruin lead to 58-54.
 
Five straight points from Cade Tyson kept Belmont ahead before a sequence of events swung momentum back in Missouri State's favor.
 
Following a defensive stop, Moore stole a Belmont dribble handoff and scored in transition to tie the game at 65.
 
Then after a Walker missed 3-pointer, Moore made a deep 3-pointer to put Missouri State ahead, 68-65, with 7:15 remaining.
 
The Bruins would answer back with scores from Davidson and Walker in transition, before an apparent conventional 3-point play for Gillespie with 6:03 left.
 
But following replay review, officials reversed a basket interference call and took away Gillespie's score – instead awarding two free throws.
 
Gillespie gave Belmont a 71-70 lead.
 
From there, Missouri State held Belmont scoreless for a three-plus minute stretch as Mason capped a 10-0 run as the Bears went ahead 80-71.
 
Dia answered with two free throws to get Belmont within seven before Moore extended a Missouri State possession with an offensive rebound with 2:13 left.
 
Mason capped the second chance opportunity with a floater in the lane.
 
All told, Belmont shot 50 percent from the field in the second half and came up with nine steals.
 
Davidson led four Belmont players in double figures with 22 points, three rebounds and two assists.
 
Dia had 20 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
 
Gillespie provided 15 points, seven assists, two steals and zero turnovers in his return.
 
Tyson had 10 points, six rebounds and two steals.
 
Moore led Missouri State (14-9, 6-6 MVC) with 23 points.
 
Belmont (12-11, 5-7 MVC) returns to game action Wednesday vs. Murray 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