Men's Basketball Defeats Evansville

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - - Belmont University men's basketball defeated Evansville, 85-82, Saturday afternoon from the Ford Center.
 
Belmont won a fifth straight conference game in another emotional, topsy-turvy affair featuring huge scoring runs and momentum swings.
 
Evansville welcomed back leading scorer Gabriel Pozzato who missed the previous eight games.
 
Five points from Sam Orme and two Isaiah Walker free throws gave Belmont a 19-14 lead at the 11:50 mark.
 
A Carter Whitt jump shot and 3-pointers from Aidan Noyes and Brody Peebles increased the lead to 11, 27-16, midway through the first half.
 
Belmont kept the flow going, turning defensive stops into high percentage shots.
 
A Brigham Rogers score and back-to-back 3-pointers from Jonathan Pierre and Tyler Lundblade made the score 35-20 less than 13 minutes in.
 
Belmont handed out 11 assists in the first 12 minutes of the game - it was some of the most inspired team basketball of the season.
 
But just as quickly as it appeared for the Bruins, it mysteriously went away.
 
A five-minute field goal drought was accompanied by a surge of Evansville second-chance opportunities which cut into the fast start.
 
A Tanner Cuff basket got Evansville within 37-33 with 2:24 left in the first half.
 
Rogers would answer with tough finish through contact as Belmont led 39-37 at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 47 percent (14-for-30) from the field in the opening 20 minutes – including 7-for-14 from 3-point distance.
 
A transition basket from Isaiah Walker and a Lundblade 3-pointer gave Belmont a 46-43 lead.
 
However, the hosts had found an offensive rhythm late in the first half and it carried into the second half.
 
Evansville entered play shooting 29 percent from 3-point distance in conference games but found confidence behind the shooting of Cameron Haffner.
 
Haffner's two 3-pointers gave Evansville a 49-46 lead with 15:16 left.
 
Rogers carried Belmont during portions of the second half, as his tough finishes inside matched the Aces.
 
Evansville took a 57-50 lead on a Pozzato dunk, before a Pierre conventional 3-point play sparked a Belmont response.
 
Two Carter Whitt baskets and a Rogers layin tied the score at 59 with 9:42 left.
 
3-pointers from Lundblade and Pierre put Belmont back on top before two free throws from Noyes pushed the margin to four, 70-66, with 6:48 left.
 
In a game that featured nine ties and 20 lead changes, Whitt stepped up big time in the second half delivering significant field goals time and again.
 
After one Connor Turnbull free throw, Isaiah Walker made a 3-pointer with 3:01 left to give Belmont a 77-74 lead.
 
Following two Whitt free throws, Haffner continued his outstanding game with a 3-pointer to tie the game at 79 with 1:41 left.
 
Pierre put Belmont ahead with two free throws with 1:25 remaining before the Bruins earned a defensive stop following a Joshua Hughes missed baseline jump shot.
 
Belmont worked the basketball into the frontcourt and turned to Pierre who earned two free throws with 25 seconds left to extend the margin to four points.
 
From there, the Bruins played an outstanding possession of defense, forcing Evansville into multiple actions before Tayshawn Comer missed a long 3-pointer with 10 seconds left.
 
Cuff would grab the long rebound and find Haffner for a 3-pointer with 3.7 seconds left to make the score 83-82.
 
Officials put 4.8 seconds on the clock prior to Belmont's possession.
 
Pierre inbounded to Lundblade, who calmly made two free throws with 4.0 seconds left to give Belmont an 85-82 lead.
 
Comer missed an off-balance shot at the buzzer.
 
All told, Belmont shot 48 percent (29-for-60) from the field – including 11-for-26 from 3-point distance. Belmont handed out 19 assists and scored 32 points in the paint.
 
Belmont's 85 points were the most allowed by Evansville in a conference game; the Aces led the MVC in defensive efficiency entering play.

Whitt led four Belmont players in scoring with 20 points – 15 in the second half.
 
Rogers had 16 points and eight rebounds.
 
Pierre contributed 16 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
 
Lundblade had 13.
 
Haffner led Evansville (6-13, 3-5 MVC) with 25 points.
 
Belmont won its conference-leading fifth true road game of the season.
 
Belmont (14-5, 6-2 MVC) returns to game action Tuesday vs. Bradley.
 
BOGO tickets for the Bradley game are on sale now.
 
Belmont 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.