| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JVST | 27 | 32 | 59 |
| BEL | 22 | 41 | 63 |
Late rally lifts Belmont past Jacksonville St. 63-59
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- — Caleb Hollander had 18 points and eight rebounds as Belmont extended its winning streak to 20 games, narrowly beating Jacksonville State 63-59 on Thursday night.
The win gave Belmont a three-game lead over Morehead State in the Ohio Valley Conference with three games to go, assuring the Bruins at least a tie for their 12th regular-season title in the last 16 years.
Nick Muszynski had 16 points and three blocks for Belmont (23-1, 17-0). Grayson Murphy added nine points and nine rebounds.
Luke Smith, the Bruins’ second leading scorer (13.0 ppg) points per game, scored seven points in 1 of 9 shooting, 1of 8 from distance. Smith made four free throws in the last 13 seconds, each time extending the Bruins late lead to two possessions.
Belmont scored a season-low 22 first-half points as Jacksonville State led 27-22 at the break. The Gamecocks held a lead until Hollander hit a jumper, was fouled and converted the three-point play putting Belmont in front 55-53 with 3:26 remaining.
Darian Adams scored a career-high 24 points and had eight rebounds for the Gamecocks (14-8, 10-6), whose four-game win streak ended with the loss. Jalen Finch added nine points and seven assists.
Belmont defeated Jacksonville State 98-91 on Jan. 16.
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Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com
Game Information
- Referees:
- Andrew Walton
- John St. Clair
- Chris Hudson
2024-25 Conference USA Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTEP | 2-0 | - | 12-3 |
| New Mexico State | 2-0 | - | 9-6 |
| Liberty | 2-1 | 0.5 | 14-2 |
| Middle Tennessee | 2-1 | 0.5 | 11-5 |
| Kennesaw State | 1-1 | 1 | 9-6 |
| Jacksonville State | 1-1 | 1 | 9-6 |
| Louisiana Tech | 1-2 | 1.5 | 12-4 |
| Western Kentucky | 1-2 | 1.5 | 10-6 |
| Florida International | 1-2 | 1.5 | 7-9 |
| Sam Houston | 0-3 | 2.5 | 7-9 |
2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley | 4-1 | - | 13-3 |
| Drake | 3-2 | 1 | 13-2 |
| Belmont | 3-2 | 1 | 11-5 |
| UIC | 3-2 | 1 | 10-5 |
| Valparaiso | 3-2 | 1 | 10-6 |
| Murray State | 3-2 | 1 | 9-7 |
| Indiana State | 3-2 | 1 | 9-7 |
| Northern Iowa | 3-2 | 1 | 9-7 |
| Evansville | 3-2 | 1 | 6-10 |
| Illinois State | 2-3 | 2 | 10-6 |
| Missouri State | 0-5 | 4 | 7-9 |
| Southern Illinois | 0-5 | 4 | 5-11 |
Men's College Basketball News