NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball defeated Illinois State, 80-69, Saturday afternoon from the Curb Event Center.
In a game moved up 26 hours due to Winter Storm Fern, Belmont handed out 19 assists and had eight players score seven or more points.
Two
Drew Scharnowski baskets and 3-pointers from
Tyler Lundblade and
Sam Orme gave Belmont a 10-2 lead 3:15 into the game.
Belmont would make its first five 3-point field goal attempts, then exhibited its strong inside game with work from Orme and Bez Jenkins.
As Belmont stacked defensive stops in the halfcourt, a conventional 3-point play from a determined Jenkins increased the lead to 14, 37-23, with 4:49 left in the first half.
Behind Landon Wolf, timely free throws, and several second-chance points, Illinois State cut the margin to eight points, 44-36, at halftime.
Belmont shot 58 percent (15-for-26) from the field in the opening 20 minutes – including 5-for-6 from 3-point distance.
The Bruins scored 12 points off seven Illinois State turnovers.
A rare offensive dry spell for Belmont – five empty trips to open the second half – saw Illinois State climb within 44-43 on two Boden Skunberg free throws.
After an
Eoin Dillon 3-pointer, baskets from Ty'Reek Coleman and Ty Pence gave Illinois State a 48-47 lead with 15:54 left – its first lead since 2-0.
Brigham Rogers provided a huge lift as his two, tough inside scores got Belmont's offense back in rhythm.
The midway portion of the second half featured top-shelf offense, with both teams showcasing high-level passing, cutting, screening, and shot making.
After two 3-pointers from Johnny Kinziger and
Jack Smiley layin, Belmont tied the score at 58 on an emphatic left-handed dunk from Scharnowski.
That unleashed a 14-2 Belmont run as an Orme cutting layin and back-to-back Dillon 3-pointers made the score 66-58 with 8:01 left.
Belmont's defense elevated, holding Illinois State to one made field goal over a nine-and-a-half-minute stretch.
Another tough Jenkins finish, a Smiley 3-pointer, and an Orme steal and coast-to-coast dunk gave Belmont a 75-61 lead with 3:02 left.
All told, Belmont shot 58 percent (29-for-50) from the field – including 9-for-16 from 3-point distance.
Belmont outscored Illinois State, 36-24, in points in the paint.
Belmont also outscored Illinois State, 31-12, in bench points; the Redbirds entered as one of the most balanced teams in the MVC.
Dillon led three Belmont players in double figures with 16 points. Jenkins continued his fine play with 14 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Lundblade had 11.
Kinziger led Illinois State (14-7, 6-4 MVC) with 13 points.
Belmont joins USC as the only opponents to defeat Illinois State by double figures this season.
Belmont (18-3, 8-2 MVC) returns to game action Wednesday at Valparaiso.
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.
