Bruins Earn Win in Bradds' Debut
Evan Bradds’ return to the Curb Event Center didn’t disappoint, as the Bruins beat Southern Indiana 72-54 in his head-coaching debut.
Belmont never trailed, taking the lead on the first shot of the Bradds era, a 3-pointer by junior Eoin Dillon 16 seconds into the game.
Bradds said he was “extremely nervous” to be back at the Curb Event Center, but overall, it was a “great feeling.”
“Anytime you get to come out here, play the game of basketball and compete with your teammates, it’s a good night and a good night for a win,” Bradds said.
Despite the early, unrelinquished lead, Belmont’s offense struggled for most of the first half.
The Bruins shot 37% from the field with 10 turnovers to four assists in a 27-point first half.
At one point, they went nearly nine minutes between field goal makes, missing nine straight shots between a layup by junior Jabez Jenkins and a 3-pointer by sophomore Jack Smiley.
Despite Southern Indiana missing its first 15 shots and going nearly eight minutes without a field goal, Belmont’s shooting struggles kept the Bruins from expanding their lead past eight points.
The Bruins’ defense bailed them out for most of the first half, allowing only 14 points and two assists while forcing 10 turnovers.
“I thought we were a little nervous,” Bradds said. “But I thought we held it together. Our defense really carried us in that first half, which is always a good sight.”
Up 13 with six seconds left in the half, Bradds called a timeout after a Screaming Eagle turnover to draw up a play and add to the lead.
The Bruins got the ball into Smiley’s hands, but he was forced into a deep contested 3-pointer that fell well short, prompting Bradds to head straight back to the locker room.
“I wouldn’t say the execution was great… We tried to execute a full-court play. We got about halfway through, but it wasn’t great toward the end,” Bradds said.
Smiley had a much stronger second-half start, scoring Belmont’s first seven points as the team connected on 11 of its first 13 shots.
“I think in the first half, I could have been a lot more aggressive getting downhill and getting my teammates involved,” Smiley said. “Shout-out to the coaches for getting on me at halftime. That’s what I needed.”
After shooting 2-for-8 in the first half, Smiley scored 19 of his career-high 24 points in the second half, going 8-for-10 from the floor with three assists. Smiley scored or assisted on 27 of Belmont’s 45 second-half points.
In addition to the halftime critiques, Smiley also credited the Bruins’ desire to win in Bradds’ debut as a factor in their performance.
“We all love Coach Bradds as a coach, as a person, and it meant a lot for us to get him his first win and defend our home court,” Smiley said. “And, you know, we had fun in the locker room.”
Bradds will look to earn his second career win on Thursday night when the Bruins host Centre, a Division III program that finished third in the Southern Athletic Association last season. Belmont will also look to improve its defensive rebounding after allowing 16 offensive rebounds, Bradds said.
“There’s going to be a lot to clean up the first night. It’s always tough,” Bradds said. “But I’m really proud of our guys, and we’ll have the humility to come back tomorrow, watch the film and grow from that.”
This article was written by Sam Dicus
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