Men's Basketball Rises Over Middle Tennessee

Belmont Vision Multimedia, Zach Watkins

Belmont men’s basketball returned to the win column with an 83-62 win over Middle Tennessee State University on Sunday.

The Bruins set the tone early, scoring in the opening minute and adding an early free throw to build momentum.

Middle Tennessee State University responded with a free throw of its own not long after.

MTSU used its coach’s challenge on a close call, but the ruling stood, which cost the Blue Raiders a timeout and added 30 seconds back to the clock.

Both teams traded buckets, with Belmont knocking down multiple three-pointers to stay in rhythm.

The Blue Raiders stayed within reach throughout the first half and tied the score several times.

Another play went to review, this time for a foul on MTSU, and the call was upheld and resulted in Belmont losing a timeout.

Belmont closed the first half with the advantage, leading 35-31.

The Bruins continued to control the pace in the second half and never allowed MTSU to close the gap.

One of the highlights of the night came from sophomore forward Drew Scharnowski’s powerful dunk, which energized the Belmont fans who made the trip.

Belmont later used a second coach’s challenge on a foul called against MTSU, hoping for a bigger swing, but the ruling again stood and cost the Bruins their final timeout.

Coming off a tough loss to Richmond, Belmont responded with the composure and energy that defined its early undefeated stretch of the season.

The Bruins secured the victory and will return to the Curb Event Center this Saturday. -   

This article was written by Kali Akridge