Men's Basketball Plays Missouri State Saturday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont men's basketball returns to Missouri Valley Conference play Saturday vs. Missouri State.
 
Belmont defeated Bradley, 80-77, Wednesday.
 
Carter Whitt continued his strong play with 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals at Bradley. The Raleigh, North Carolina native has 38 assists over his last five games and ranks among MVC leaders in scoring, assists, and steals. Whitt has 15 games over double figure scoring with four-plus assists.
 
Jonathan Pierre had 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists at Bradley, including the game-winning conventional 3-point play with 2.1 seconds remaining. The Hallandale, Florida native has 17 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, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals at Bradley. Walker has seven or more rebounds in six of his last nine games. The Wyoming, Ohio had eight points vs. Missouri State last season in Nashville.
 
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 25 points at Bradley.
 
Brigham Rogers had five rebounds and two steals at Bradley. The Woodstock, Georgia native scored a career-high 17 points and added nine rebounds vs. Southern Illinois. Rogers is third in the MVC in 2-point field goal percentage in league games.
 
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 and 11 points at Murray State.
 
Drew Scharnowski had a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds at Murray State. The 6-9 forward recorded a career-high four blocked shots at Northern Iowa 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 three straight double figure scoring games with 13 points at Murray State, a career-high 20 points at Illinois State, and 15 points Sunday.
 
Brody Peebles had 11 points at Bradley, including a conventional 3-point play with 1:23 remaining. The Hartselle, Alabama native has a team-high 49 career double figure scoring games. He is 21 points away from 1,000 for his career.
 
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 134 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 446 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 fifth meeting between Belmont and Missouri State. Belmont won, 93-78, last season at the Curb Event Center.
 
The game is presented by Ascend Federal Credit Union.
 
Tip-off is set for 4 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.