McClain Joins 1,000-point Club As Bruins Roll Past Fisk

Photo taken by Ava Gorney

Five points was all Belmont graduate guard Nic McClain needed to reach 1,000 career points.

Almost 12 minutes into the Bruins’ game against Fisk on Friday night, he surpassed that milestone with his second three-pointer of the night.

“It means a lot, you know, playing for a lot of great fans,” McClain said. “It’s a family culture here.”

Belmont went on to beat Fisk 96-49 at the Curb Event Center, remaining undefeated on the season.

“Just playing our basketball, playing Belmont basketball,” McClain said. “Making single plays, no home run plays, not turning it over like our past, previous games.”

The Bruins came out hot, scoring their first points just over a minute into the game on a dunk from redshirt sophomore forward Sam Orme.

Just four minutes into the game, McClain hit his first three-pointer, inching closer to the 1,000-point mark.

Belmont remained dominant early in the first half, outscoring Fisk 17-2 over the first 7 1/2 minutes.

The Bulldogs started to score more consistently, but the Bruins had more answers with a layup from junior guard Isaiah West followed by a three-pointer from graduate guard Tyler Lundblade.

After more than 11 minutes of dominant Belmont basketball, and with Fisk starting to find a little footing, McClain buried his second three-pointer to cement his place in Belmont’s 1,000-point club.

The in-arena announcer at the Curb did not let the feat go unnoticed. During the next time-out, a graphic of McClain was displayed on the scoreboard while the announcer congratulated him.

Despite Fisk beginning to find some rhythm, it was not enough to keep up with Belmont, which took a 46-25 lead into halftime.

The second half brought more of the same for the Bruins, starting with a three-pointer from Orme.

It also showcased the depth of Belmont’s bench.

Redshirt freshman guard Cooper Haynes scored back-to-back buckets in the first five minutes of the half, while junior guard Win Miller knocked down all four of his three-point attempts.

The game ended with two free throws from senior guard Keith Robbins, followed by a defensive rebound from senior guard Jake Dykstra off a missed jumper by Fisk’s Trenton Connolly, sealing the win for the Bruins.

Orme led all scorers with 18 points, while junior forward Brigham Rogers recorded a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double.

McClain finished the night with 11 points, six rebounds and seven assists, extending his streak of games with at least five assists to five.

Belmont will head to Fort Myers, Florida, on Monday to take on Saint Francis as part of the GEICO Coconut Hoops Tournament. -   

This article was written by Rachel Suggs