?? New coach. Same Belmont. #ItsBruinTime https://t.co/GfAdVL7RAn

— Belmont Basketball (@BelmontMBB) November 3, 2026

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Behind a career-high 24 points from Jack Smiley, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Southern Indiana, 72-54, Monday night from the Curb Event Center to open regular season play.
 
Smiley went 10-for-18 from the field, added four assists, three rebounds, and two steals as Belmont improved to 22-1 in its last 23 home openers.
 
The game marked the official head coaching debut for Evan Bradds.
 
An opening 3-pointer from Eoin Dillon and back-to-back transition baskets from Bez Jenkins got Belmont off and running as the Bruins held Southern Indiana without a field goal for the first 7:43 of the game.
 
Though Belmont led wire-to-wire, uncharacteristically cold first-half shooting inhibited the team from breaking free.
 
Four points from Ethan Sage and baskets from Smiley and Eoin Dillon made the score 23-9 with 3:28 left in the first half.
 
Belmont led 27-14 at halftime.
 
Belmont limited Southern Indiana to 6-for-30 shooting in the first half while forcing 10 turnovers.
 
Smiley scored seven points in the first 2:03 of the second half as the lead grew to 34-16.
 
A second-chance 3-pointer from Kaden Brown sparked a quick 10-0 Southern Indiana run, but the Bruins responded.
 
Baskets from Smiley and Isaiah West and a 3-pointer from Aleksa Ristic pushed the margin back to 15, 41-26, with 14:50 remaining.
 
Belmont made 11 of its first 13 field goal attempts of the second half to maintain a working margin.
 
Contributions from Vincent Neugebauer at the rim provided a lift, before Jenkins punctuated the victory with a thunderous left-handed slam with two minutes left.
 
All told, Belmont shot 52 percent (27-for-52) from the field – including 68 percent in the second half.
 
Belmont outscored Southern Indiana, 40-26, in points in the paint.
 
Smiley had 19 of his 24 points in the second half.
 
Jenkins had 10 points and four rebounds.
 
West added a career-high eight rebounds.
 
Brown led Southern Indiana (0-1) with 12 points.
 
Belmont (1-0) returns to game action Thursday vs. Centre.
 
Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. CT from the Curb Event Center. 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 season tickets – which include the entire men's and women's basketball home schedule – are on sale now at belmontbruins.com/tickets. 
 
Belmont is proud to continue its Military Appreciation Ticket Program – whereby all active military and veterans – and up to four guests – receive FREE admission to all men's and women's basketball games at the Curb Event Center.
 
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 21 conference championships since 2006 - third-most nationally over that span (behind Gonzaga and Kansas). Belmont has won 20 or more games in 16 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga and Kansas) and 19 or more games in 21 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 20 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 11 consecutive seasons.
 
How to Follow
Follow Belmont men's basketball on social media - @BelmontMBB on X, formerly Twitter and @belmont_mbb on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. 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.