Men's Basketball Defeats Northern Iowa in High-Level Game

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Behind a career-high 31 points from Tyler Lundblade, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Northern Iowa, 91-86, Thursday night from the Curb Event Center.
 
Lundblade went 9-for-14 from the field – including seven 3-point field goals – as Belmont won for the 10^th time in 11 games to stay atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings.
 
Northern Iowa entered play leading the nation in scoring defense (60.0 ppg) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.265).
 
Yet the Bruins – after posting an impressive 133.5 offensive efficiency in victory at Northern Iowa Jan. 7 – matched or exceeded its offensive output on this night.
 
3-pointers from Bez Jenkins and Sam Orme pushed Belmont to an early 6-0 lead before Northern Iowa tied the score.
 
Belmont had to do much of its work without the services of forward Drew Scharnowski, who battled foul trouble throughout the game.
 
After three points from Brigham Rogers and an Eoin Dillon basket, Northern Iowa went on a 13-0 run behind the play of Leon Bond.
 
And while a halfcourt slugfest was anticipated, both teams were willing to attack in early offense, showcasing team basketball, sharp passing, and high-level shot making.
 
Consecutive 3-pointers from Aidan Noyes and Lundblade got Belmont back within 25-22.
 
Orme capped an 8-0 Belmont run to give the Bruins a 34-33 lead with 5:48 left in the first half.
 
In fact, 3-pointers from Jack Smiley, Noyes and Lundblade capped an electrifying stretch of seven makes from long distance in a six-minute span as Belmont led 43-37.
 
Dillon would add two free throws before Northern Iowa closed the first half on a 6-0 run to tie the score at 45 at halftime.
 
Belmont shot 52 percent (15-for-29) from the field in the opening 20 minutes – including 9-for-19 from 3-point distance.
 
Orme led Belmont with 11 first-half points.
 
Baskets from Trey Campbell and Max Weisbrod gave Northern Iowa a 51-47 lead with 18:59 left.
 
The Bruins answered back with a determined 9-0 run, as scores from Isaiah West, Lundblade, Rogers, and Dillon made the score 56-51 with 16:12 left.
 
Lundblade would add three more 3-pointers in a two-minute span to give Belmont a 68-62 lead with 11:34 left.
 
Rogers did enormous work on both ends of the floor with his frontcourt mate Scharnowski in foul trouble; his post defense and inside finishes proved pivotal.
 
A left-handed layin and a dunk off a sweet feed from Jenkins extended the Belmont lead to eight, 74-66, with 8:08 left.
 
Northern Iowa once again showed its experience, resolve, and toughness with a 10-2 response.
 
A baseline drive from Tristan Smith and a transition layin from Bond tied the score at 76 with 3:52 left.
 
Smiley would score a determined layin on the next possession to give Belmont the lead – a lead they would maintain.
 
Blocked shots from Jenkins and Orme fueled Belmont down the stretch as a Jenkins baseline finish and another Lundblade 3-pointer made the score 83-76 with 2:11 left.
 
After two Campbell free throws, West made an enormous driving layin late in the shot clock to give Belmont an 85-78 lead with 1:26 left.
 
Belmont went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 45 seconds to secure the victory.
 
All told, Belmont shot 57 percent (31-for-54) from the field – including 14-for-30 from 3-point distance. Northern Iowa has allowed an opponent to make 10 or more 3-pointers in a game only twice this season – both games against Belmont.
 
Belmont handed out 19 assists and outscored Northern Iowa in bench points, 33-13.
 
Lundblade led two Belmont players in double figures with a career-high 31 points.
 
Orme had 15 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
 
Rogers continued his fine play with nine points, five rebounds, and five assists.
 
Noyes scored nine points, while Jenkins and Dillon each had eight points.
 
Smiley had seven points and three assists.
 
West led Belmont with three steals.
 
Bond led Northern Iowa (16-10, 8-7 MVC) with 21 points.
 
Northern Iowa had only lost three games entering play with Tristan Smith in the lineup, narrow losses to Saint Mary's, Tulsa, and Wichita State.
 
Belmont head coach Casey Alexander earned career victory No. 300.
 
In its three home victories over Murray State, Drake, and Northern Iowa, Belmont scored 297 points.
 
Belmont (23-4, 13-3 MVC) returns to game action Sunday at Murray State.
 
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 16 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga; Kansas and Oregon) and 19 or more games in 21 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga and Kansas; San Diego State can join). 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.
 
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