The Belmont men’s basketball team (14-6) came away with a much-needed victory against conference rivals Murray State (13-5) after being down by four at the half on Thursday night at the Curb Event Center.
The Bruins and Racers were both 5-1 in conference play going into the Thursday night brawl, but with the help of junior Dylan Windler and senior Austin Luke’s 21 points each, Belmont ended the game with a 79-72 win.
The first half started off with the Racers leading 10-5 just five minutes into the game. The Bruins struggled to complete three’s and recover rebounds — an issue that has plagued the Bruins all season.
Murray State worked inside the paint and hit quick layups, which put the team up 32-28 at the half with momentum going into the second.
Junior Mack Mercer stole the show in the second half, and finished strong with a solid 15 points and 7 rebounds. Freshman Nick Hopkins hit two impressive three’s with under ten minutes to go to seal the deal.
Belmont — now 6-1 in conference play — have another huge conference matchup this Saturday against Austin Peay at 5 p.m. in the Curb Event Center.
— —
This article written by Steven Boero. Photos by Zach Gilchriest.