Pierre Game-Winning Shot Lifts Men's Basketball over Bradley

PEORIA, Ill. - - In one of the most inspired and courageous performances in recent memory, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Bradley, 80-77, Wednesday night from the Peoria Civic Center.
 
Jonathan Pierre converted a conventional 3-point play with 2.1 seconds remaining to provide the final margin.
 
The game-winning shot came two years after Belmont legend and current Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard lifted Belmont to victory at Bradley in similar fashion.
 
Belmont defended two actions in the final seconds to secure its seventh true road victory of the season.
 
Without several frontcourt players and with several others – including three coaching staff members – battling illness, Belmont simply found a way.
 
Carter Whitt got Belmont going early with confident play and shotmaking, having a hand in 10 of Belmont's first 13 points in building a five-point lead.
 
Belmont also showcased a variety of defensive looks, taking Bradley out of an offensive rhythm with activity, purpose, and teamwork.
 
Whitt and Isaiah Walker in particular spearheaded the defensive effort, leading to high percentage shots.
 
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Pierre and Brody Peebles gave Belmont a 22-13 lead with 10:44 left in the first half.
 
Duke Deen answered for Bradley before Peebles and Whitt kept Belmont on top.
 
The Bruins had to navigate early foul trouble to forward Brigham Rogers, leading to different lineups and substitutions rotations.
 
After a Walker putback basket, Bradley got a lift from reserve forward Almar Atlason. Atlason, who had not scored in double figures since Dec. 3 and played single figure minutes in six of the last seven games, had an outstanding game.
 
His third 3-point field goal of the first half got Bradley within 36-35.
 
Pierre responded with a timely 3-pointer of his own as Belmont led 39-35 at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 46 percent (15-for-33) from the field in the opening 20 minutes – including 9-for-20 from 3-point distance.
 
The Bruins also outscored Bradley in points in the paint in the first half.
 
After two Pierre free throws and a Walker coast to coast steal and layin, Atlason continued to be the story for Bradley.
 
Five Atlason points gave Bradley its first lead of the game, 45-43, with 17:01 left.
 
That is where Tyler Lundblade unleashed a dazzling display of shooting to carry the Bruins.
 
His 3-pointer with 16:46 left ingited a stretch a long distance shooting that will long be remembered in Belmont in history.
 
Over the next 10 minutes, Lundblade would score 19 points in electrifying fashion – with each 3-point field goal of increased difficulty and impact.
 
After Bradley took a 61-58 lead on two Christian Davis free throws, Lundblade made back-to-back 3-pointers to put Belmont back on top.
 
Lundblade made it 68-63 with 6:01 left – giving Belmont fuel for the final stretch run.
 
Ahmet Jonovic would get Bradley within three points before a cutting score from Walker and a clutch basket from Whitt gave Belmont a 72-65 lead with 4:47 left.
 
Lundblade then provided a huge offensive rebound and found Whitt for a driving score that made the score 74-67 with 3:38 left.
 
That's when Atlason again made his presence felt.
 
His steal and layin got Bradley within 74-69 with 1:34 remaining.
 
The Bruins then got an outstanding hit-ahead pass from Pierre to Peebles, who converted a conventional 3-point play that gave Belmont a 77-69 lead with 1:23 remaining.
 
Atlason proceeded to make a deep 3-pointer with 1:08 left that got Bradley within five points.
 
Then after an empty Belmont uncharacteristically missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity, Atlason made a right sideline 3-pointer with 34 seconds left that made the score 77-75.
 
Belmont handled pressure defense and found Whitt who was fouled with 30 seconds left.
 
Whitt, who has delivered time after time all season long for the Bruins, surprisingly missed both free throws and Bradley secured the rebound with 29 seconds remaining.
 
Bradley worked into the frontcourt, eventually Zek Montgomery missed a jump shot with 13 seconds left.
 
As both teams had a massive battle for the loose ball rebound, Atlason proved to be in the right place at the right time, as his putback attempt danced and hung on the rim and eventually fell in with seven seconds left to tie the score at 77.
 
As Bradley called timeout to set up its final defense, it was a surreal 75 seconds; an 8-0 Bradley run had brought the home crowd to its feet.
 
While some teams would have been deflated and discouraged, Belmont simply played the next play and executed.
 
Belmont turned to Whitt, who sped upcourt. As he worked into the frontcourt and drew two defenders, Whitt passed to Pierre at full speed who drove the left lane line and scored through contact with 1.4 seconds left.
 
As the Belmont bench erupted, officials clarified the fifth personal foul on Atlason and put 2.1 seconds on the clock.
 
With Bradley out of timeouts, Belmont head coach Casey Alexander instructed Pierre to intentionally miss the free throw.
 
However, Pierre's shot went in the basket to make the score 80-77.
 
Belmont then called timeout to set its defense.
 
Christian Davis threw a long pass downcourt to Darius Hannah; as Hannah rose to catch the pass, Rogers deflected the pass out of bounds beyond the baseline.
 
Officials went to the monitor and awarded possession to Bradley with 1.4 seconds left.
 
Belmont defended the final sequence well, forcing a pass well out to the perimeter as Hannah missed a 28-foot shot as the horn sounded.
 
All told, Belmont shot 47 percent (28-for-60) from the field – including 15-for-32 from 3-point distance.
 
The Bruins scored 15 second chance points and handed out 17 assists.
 
Lundblade led five Belmont players in double figures with 25 points. Pierre had 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
 
Whitt had 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Walker had 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
 
Peebles had 11.
 
Atlason led Bradley (18-6, 9-4 MVC) with 28 points.
 
Belmont (16-8, 8-5 MVC) returns to game action Saturday vs. Missouri 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 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.