Men's Basketball Defeats Oral Roberts

TULSA, Okla. - - Behind strong defense, balanced scoring, and impactful bench contributions, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Oral Roberts, 83-60, Saturday night from the Mabee Center.
 
Tyler Lundblade led six Belmont players in double figures with 15 points as Belmont limited Oral Roberts to 30 percent shooting.
 
Bez Jenkins got Belmont off to a fast start, but turnovers and foul trouble mounted early.
 
Jack Turner and Ty Harper combined to score 17 of Oral Roberts' first 24 points as the hosts led by 10 less than nine minutes in.
 
But Win Miller gave Belmont a huge lift off the bench, as his 3-pointer fueled a 13-3 run.
 
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Sam Orme tied the game at 27 with 7:53 left in the first half.
 
Two Brigham Rogers baskets around scores from Jenkins and Isaiah West extended the lead to 35-29.
 
Miller added five more points before an Orme backdoor slam gave Belmont a 42-39 lead at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 54 percent (15-for-28) from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Rogers led Belmont with 10 first-half points.
 
A Lundblade 3-pointer and another post finish from Rogers made the score 47-39 with 18:10 left.
 
Drew Scharnowski imposed his will with strong drives and defensive rebounding which set the stage for a decisive Belmont run.
 
Belmont held Oral Roberts scoreless for a six-minute stretch as Jenkins capped an 11-0 run to increase the margin to 18, 66-48, with 7:46 left.
 
Oral Roberts labored to find points as Belmont's active and purposeful defense limited paint touches and forced contested shots.
 
In fact, Belmont held Oral Roberts without an assist in the second half while forcing seven turnovers.
 
3-pointers from Jack Smiley and Keith Robbins secured the outcome.
 
All told, Belmont shot 55 percent (33-for-60) from the field – including 9-for-21 from 3-point distance.
 
Belmont outrebounded Oral Roberts, 45-30.
 
The Bruins outscored Oral Roberts, 31-12, off the bench and, 42-26, in points in the paint.
 
Lundblade had 15 points and three rebounds. Rogers had a season-high 14 points.
 
Jenkins had 13 points and seven rebounds. Orme, Scharnowski, and Miller each scored 10.
 
Nic McClain had six assists.
 
Harper led Oral Roberts (1-3) with 20 points.
 
Belmont (3-0) returns to game action Wednesday, Nov. 19 vs. Lipscomb.
 
Fans are encouraged to get the Battle of the Boulevard ticket special – to secure a ticket to the Belmont-Lipscomb basketball doubleheader AND any two other home games for $33.
 
Belmont season tickets – which include the entire men's and women's basketball home schedule – are on sale now at belmontbruins.com/tickets. 
 
To become a Bruin Club member, contact Russell Grimm at (615) 460-5668 or russell.grimm@belmont.edu.
 
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 15 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga, Kansas, and Oregon) and 19 or more games in 20 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 six 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 10 consecutive seasons.
 
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