Men's Basketball Loses Battle of the Boulevard
Belmont suffered its first loss of the season, falling to Lipscomb University in the Battle of the Boulevard.
The Bruins briefly held an 8-6 lead with 13:30 remaining in the first half, but it would be their only lead of the night as the Bisons took control for the remainder of the game.
From there, Belmont continued to answer nearly every Lipscomb basket, but the Bisons seemed to have a response every time and never allowed the Bruins to build momentum.
"They out-physicalled us, out-competed us, out-coached us from the jump tonight…We just did not play with the level of aggression needed to win a game like this," Bradds said.
Despite Belmont keeping pace with Lipscomb early on, the Bruins would eventually fall into a scoring drought, allowing the Bisons to extend their lead into double digits.
Lipscomb continued to build its advantage throughout the first half, eventually leading by as many as 12 points.
However, Belmont managed to cut into the deficit in the closing minutes, heading into halftime trailing 40-32.
Belmont entered the second half looking to erase its eight-point deficit, but Lipscomb continued to keep the Bruins at a distance.
One of the biggest factors in Lipscomb's offensive success was freshman Devyn Martin, who led the Bisons with 23 points.
Martin, who Lipscomb head coach Kevin Carroll said previously served as a walk-on on the team's scout team, became a focal point of the Bisons' offense.
"We let Martin play one-on-one way too much tonight," head coach Evan Bradds said.
Sophomore Jack Smiley led the Bruins offensively with 23 points, falling just one point shy of his season-high 24-point performance.
Smiley shot 8-for-18 from the field, including five three-pointers, matching Lipscomb's Devyn Martin with 23 points on the night.
Jenkins also recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while new transfer players junior Vincent Neugebauer and sophomore Aleksa Ristic each contributed 10 points.
"I always tell people if Vincent and Aleksa were high school kids from Kentucky, they'd get recruited by Belmont," Bradds said. "They fit how we play; they fit the people that we want to bring in this environment."
The final two minutes became a drawn-out affair, with nine personal fouls disrupting the pace of play as Belmont attempted to close the deficit.
Lipscomb ultimately secured an 88-75 victory, handing Belmont its first loss of the season in the Battle of the Boulevard.
The Bruins will return home Saturday at 7:30 p.m. as they face Furman University at the Curb Event Center.
This article was written by Reece Leddy
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