Men’s basketball advances to OVC Tournament final with victory over Austin Peay

Men’s basketball senior Dylan Windler is leading the Bruins to their second straight Ohio Valley Conference Tournament final after a huge 83-67 comeback victory over Austin Peay State University on Friday night in Evansville, Indiana.

After falling behind early in an offensive shootout, Windler kept the Bruins alive throughout the game. The superstar senior scored 32 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in front of close to 40 NBA scouts.

Senior Kevin McClain also played a fantastic, physical game, scoring 20 points and shooting 3-8 from behind the arch.

OVC freshman of the year Nick Muszynski only scored 11 points and had a hard fall to the floor in the second half. Muszynski would not return to the game but stayed on the bench for the remainder of it.

Most of the first half consisted of fast, back and forth scoring, and Austin Peay went into halftime with a 43-40 lead. The Governors’ Steve Harris and Zach Glotta each carried 10 points into halftime.

A Windler three early in the second half helped switch momentum toward the Bruins. Windler’s 19 points in the second half alone gave the Bruins the extra push over the edge for a chance to play in the OVC final.

Belmont will face the winner of Friday night’s Murray State vs. Jacksonville State game on Saturday at 8 p.m..

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Photos by Carina Eudy.