Men's Basketball Defeats College of Charleston

CHARLESTON, S.C. - - Behind an impressive performance on both ends of the floor and a near triple-double from Nic McClain, Belmont University men's basketball defeated College of Charleston, 96-73, Sunday from TD Arena.
 
Belmont limited College of Charleston to 31 percent shooting as the Bruins registered their fourth victory away from home this season by a combined 98 points.
 
McClain had 12 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high 11 assists.
 
Belmont led virtually wire-to-wire in shooting 57 percent from the field in handing out 21 assists to only six turnovers.
 
Bez Jenkins scored the team's first eight points during a 20-3 run as Belmont seized complete control of the game by the first media timeout.
 
Four points from Drew Scharnowski and another Jenkins 3-pointer made the score 31-14 at the 8:06 mark of the first half.
 
Purposeful defense led to efficient offense for Belmont, as Tyler Lundblade and Sam Orme showcased their all-around games.
 
Belmont received strong bench contributions as well, as scores from Isaiah West and Win Miller gave Belmont a 49-31 lead at halftime.
 
Belmont limited College of Charleston to 8-for-30 shooting and two assists in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Lundblade had 13 first-half points.
 
Lundblade and Orme combined to score 10 straight points as Belmont opened the second half on a 12-3 run to make the score 61-34 with 16:09 left.
 
Belmont was locked in defensively and on the boards, as College of Charleston labored to find a rhythm in the game.
 
Meanwhile, McClain's strong drives, passing, defense, and energy was the story.
 
His set up to Orme gave Belmont a 78-46 lead midway through the second half.
 
Scharnowski's defensive versatility also shined through and kept College of Charleston at bay.
 
Jack Smiley, Cooper Haynes, and Keith Robbins capped the Belmont scoring as Belmont led 96-67 with 46 seconds left.
 
Belmont outrebounded College of Charleston, 41-37, and outscored the hosts, 38-16, in points in the paint.
 
Lundblade and Orme led four Belmont players in double figures with 18 points each.
 
Jenkins had 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
 
Scharnowski had eight points, six rebounds, and a career-high five blocked shots.
 
Connor Hickman led College of Charleston (4-5) with 20 points.
 
Belmont (8-0) completed its first undefeated November since its 37-2 season in 1994-95.
 
Belmont returns to game action Wednesday, Dec. 3 vs. Richmond.
 
Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. CT from the Curb Event Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play of Steve Layman can be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.

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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