The Belmont men’s basketball team defeated Eastern Kentucky University 84-73 on Thursday night at the Curb Event Center, led by scoring from seniors Amanze Egekeze and Austin Luke.
Egekeze racked up a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Luke played a stellar game as well with 19 points and seven assists.
The Bruins started out flat, missing a handful of threes and failing to rebound on defense. It was no help that EKU made every one of its layups in the first five minutes, taking a quick 9-5 lead over the Bruins.
Not long after that, juniors Dylan Windler and Mack Mercer both scored threes to tie it up at 24 points. Sophomore Seth Adelsperger’s alley-oop gave the Bruins a 28-24 lead toward the end of the half.
Belmont went on a 16-1 run with a little over three minutes left in the half, giving them a 41-29 lead at the end of the first half.
Belmont stayed consistent the rest of the night, with a handful of threes from junior Dylan Windler, who scored 13 points, and some great inside work from junior Kevin McClain, who grabbed 15, giving the Bruins the win.
Belmont and Murray State are currently tied at the top of the conference at 13-2, with three games left to play in the season.
Belmont will take on Morehead State on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Curb Event Center.
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This article written by Steven Boero. Photos from Caitlin Alexander.