Men's Basketball Defeats Missouri State

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - - Belmont University men's basketball defeated Missouri State, 74-65, Wednesday night from Great Southern Bank Arena.
 
The victory secured a 15^th consecutive 20-win season for Belmont, joining Gonzaga and Oregon in exclusive company (Kansas has the opportunity to join the group).
 
Belmont won its ninth true road game of the season.
 
Tyler Lundblade scored a game-high 22 points – making six 3-point field goals after making nine from long distance vs. Missouri State Feb. 8 in Nashville.
 
Belmont rode strong defense and rebounding, as a conventional 3-point play from Isaiah Walker and baskets from Drew Scharnowski and Carter Whitt gave Belmont an 18-12 lead.
 
Impressive bench contributions from Scharnowski, Brody Peebles, Aidan Noyes, and Sam Orme fueled Belmont, as a Jonathan Pierre 3-pointer made the score 32-22 with 2:16 left in the first half.
 
Belmont led 34-24 at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 38 percent (13-for-27) from the field in the opening 20 minutes – including 5-for-14 from 3-point distance.
 
The Bruins limited Missouri State to 33 percent shooting in the first half and forced 10 turnovers.
 
Missouri State closed within 37-35 before Lundblade made three consecutive 3-pointers in a 68 second span to extend the margin to 11 points.
 
A Pierre slam, five points from Orme, and a Lundblade 3-pointer gave Belmont a 59-43 lead with 8:54 left.
 
Five straight Pierre points made the score 66-51 with 6:17 remaining before Dez White scored 14 points in a four-plus minute span to get Missouri State within 66-63.
 
Belmont responded with a Whitt pullup jump shot and a Brigham Rogers left-hand layin to increased the lead to seven, 70-63, with 1:52 left.
 
A takeoff play to Whitt and two Whitt free throws provided the final margin.
 
Belmont held Missouri State without a field goal for 3:35 down the stretch.
 
All told, Belmont shot 47 percent (27-for-57) from the field – including 12-for-29 from 3-point distance.
 
Belmont outscored Missouri State, 21-2, in bench points.
 
Lundblade led four Belmont players in double figures with 22 points. Orme had 15 points and four rebounds while Pierre provided 13 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.
 
Whitt had 10 points, three assists, and three rebounds.
 
White led Missouri State (9-22, 2-17 MVC) with 20 points.
 
Belmont returns to game action Sunday vs. Murray State.
 
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 and Oregon, Kansas can accomplish) 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 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.