Men's Basketball Faces Missouri State Wednesday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont men's basketball returns to Missouri Valley Conference play Wednesday at Missouri State.
 
Belmont stands in fourth place in the MVC standings with two conference games remaining. The Bruins have won eight true road games – second to Drake - including victory at Southern Illinois, 73-68, Feb. 15.
 
Belmont defeated Indiana State, 77-75, Saturday. The Bruins outscored the Sycamores, 28-18, in bench points and limited the visitors to 38 percent shooting.
 
Carter Whitt had 15 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists vs. Indiana State – the sixth time this season he has flirted with a triple-double. The Raleigh, North Carolina native is among NCAA leaders in assists per game in conference games and ranks among MVC leaders in scoring, assists, and steals. Whitt had a Curb Event Center record 15 assists vs. Missouri State Feb. 8.
 
Jonathan Pierre had 11 points and three 3-point field goals vs. Indiana State. Pierre went over 1,000 career points vs. Missouri State. The Hallandale, Florida native has 21 double figure scoring games this season, including a career-high 28 points at Richmond. Pierre is a two-time MVC Newcomer of Week honoree.
 
Isaiah Walker had 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and four steals vs. Indiana State. Taking a major jump in his junior season, Walker has scored in double figures 21 times this season, after four double figure scoring games his first two seasons. The Wyoming, Ohio had a career-high 24 points vs. Illinois State Dec. 4.
 
Tyler Lundblade ranks among MVC and NCAA leaders in 3-point field goals per game and 3-point field goal percentage. The Dallas, Texas native scored a career-high 27 points vs. Missouri State and was named MVC Player of the Week Feb. 10. He had a team-high 19 points at Southern Illinois.
 
Brigham Rogers had three assists vs. Indiana State. The Woodstock, Georgia native scored a career-high 17 points and added nine rebounds vs. Southern Illinois. Rogers is among MVC leaders in blocked shots, offensive rebounding and 2-point field goal percentage in league games. Rogers had 13 points, six steals, and two blocked shots in the first meeting vs. Missouri State.
 
Aidan Noyes has provided a major contribution off the bench in recent games. The Cincinnati, Ohio native has a 64 percent total shooting percentage in MVC games, including 13 points vs. Southern Illinois, 11 points at Murray State, and 11 points vs. Missouri State. He has made at least one 3-point field goal in 11 of his last 14 games.
 
Drew Scharnowski had a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds at Murray State. The 6-9 forward recorded five rebounds and two blocked shots vs. Indiana State and scored 12 points on 6-for-7 shooting at Lipscomb.
 
Sam Orme has been a steady frontcourt player for the Bruins. The Carmel, Indiana native has posted nine double figure scoring games, including 56 points over his last four games. Orme did not play in the first meeting vs. Missouri State Feb. 8.
 
Brody Peebles has scored 68 points over his last six games, including 12 big points vs. Indiana State. The Hartselle, Alabama native has a team-high 54 career double figure scoring games. He reached 1,000 points for his career earlier this month, which included three seasons at Liberty.
 
Belmont leads the MVC in points per game, assists per game and assist-turnover ratio.
 
The Bruins enter the season alongside Gonzaga, Kansas, and Oregon as one of four programs to win 20 or more games 14 consecutive seasons.
 
This marks the first time since its inaugural NCAA Division I season of 1996-97 that Belmont enters a campaign having to replace all five starters.
 
Belmont went 20-13 last season, finishing fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference.

What's Bruin

• Belmont is the only NCAA Division I institution in the nation to win 20 or more games nine consecutive seasons in men's and women's basketball.
• Belmont has 137 victories since the start of the 2020 season, ranking T-13 nationally to open the season.
• Belmont has won 20 conference championships (eight tournament, 12 regular season) since 2006. Only Gonzaga and Kansas have won more conference championships over that span.
• Belmont's 449 victories since 2007 leads the state of Tennessee - including Tennessee, Memphis, and Vanderbilt.
• This marks the first time since the 2013-14 season that Belmont enters a campaign without a returning all-conference player. That season, led by OVC Player of the Year and AP All-America Honorable Mention selection JJ Mann, Belmont won the OVC, won 26 games and reached the Postseason NIT Elite 8.
• Belmont finished Top 3 in the Missouri Valley Conference in 10 statistical categories in 2023-24 and ranked among national leaders in 3-point field goal percentage, effective field goal percentage, assists and scoring offense.
• Belmont head coach Casey Alexander is one of six NCAA Division I head coaches to win 20 or more games in eight consecutive seasons, joining Dana Altman (Oregon), Mark Few (Gonzaga), Greg McDermott (Creighton), Kelvin Sampson (Houston), and Bill Self (Kansas).

 
This marks the seventh meeting between Belmont and Missouri State. Belmont won, 85-68, Feb. 8 in Nashville.
 
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play of Voice of the Bruins Steve Layman can be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.

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.