Belmont defeats Evansville 78-83

Belmont Edges Evansville in Thrilling Conference Showdown

In a back-and-forth contest that saw both teams trade blows, the visiting Belmont Bruins emerged victorious over the host Evansville Aces with an 83-78 win on December 17th at Ford Center.

The primary storyline of this game was the intensity and competitive nature of the battle. Coming into the matchup, neither team had a significant advantage, as Evansville held a narrow halftime lead of 30-41. However, Belmont's superior shooting and depth ultimately proved to be too much for the Aces, as they expanded their margin to reach the largest lead of the evening at 15 points.

Tyler Lundblade led Belmont with 21 points on 62.5% shooting from the field, while Drew Scharnowski chipped in with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Bruins also showed strong teamwork, with Jack Smiley dishing out four assists to complement his eight points.

In contrast, Evansville's Trent Hundley dominated for the Aces, scoring 20 points on 54.5% shooting from the field while adding six three-pointers. James Dyson-Merwe secured a solid performance offensively and defensively, grabbing eight rebounds and contributing five points.

The game was marked by numerous scoring opportunities for both teams, with neither able to pull away decisively until late in the fourth quarter. This back-and-forth nature of the contest highlighted the high level of competition between these two conference foes.

Advanced team statistics underscored the significance of this matchup, as Evansville struggled to find its footing on offense (38.0% eFG%). Belmont, meanwhile, showcased an impressive shooting performance, hitting 48.0% of their field goal attempts and demonstrating a strong ability to score from both inside and outside the paint.

With the win, Belmont continues to assert itself in conference play, while Evansville faces challenges in regaining its footing after this defeat.