Belmont University Men's Basketball

Belmont University Men’s Basketball
2010-2011 Season
According to ESPN
Home- Curb Event Center, Nashville, Tenn.

Game Stats
G PP AP SP FT
Player MIN RPG BPG TPG FG% 3P%
P G G G %
Ian Clark 34 24.6 12.4 2.4 1.9 1.3 0.2 1.5 .490 .813 .436
Mick Hedgepeth 34 21.9 10.6 6.0 0.6 0.6 0.6 1.4 .533 .715 .400
Scott Saunders 34 17.4 10.0 5.4 0.3 0.3 1.2 1.3 .516 .741 .000
Jordan
34 21.3 8.4 3.2 2.2 1.4 0.4 1.1 .492 .667 .460
Campbell
Kerron Johnson 34 18.1 7.7 1.4 2.7 2.0 0.0 2.2 .504 .745 .462
Drew Hanlen 34 23.3 6.4 1.8 4.0 0.7 0.0 1.4 .354 .864 .346
J.J. Mann 34 15.6 6.1 2.3 1.0 0.9 0.0 0.9 .399 .652 .327
Jon House 34 19.0 5.4 3.4 1.7 0.9 0.2 1.3 .492 .683 .393
Trevor Noack 34 14.9 5.3 3.2 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.8 .405 .762 .302
Blake Jenkins 33 10.4 3.9 2.2 0.6 0.3 0.2 1.1 .447 .686 .321
Brandon Baker 34 12.2 3.2 2.0 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.7 .370 .643 .288
Adam Barnes 29 3.8 1.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.2 .591 .667 .600
Jonny Rice 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .000 .000 .000
Holden Mobley 1 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .000 .000 .000
Totals 34 -- 80 36 16 10 3 14 .464 .737 .381
Season Stats
Player MIN FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA PTS
Ian Clark 838 149 304 52 64 72 165 422
Mick Hedgepeth 746 130 244 98 137 4 10 362
Scott Saunders 590 112 217 117 158 0 0 341
Jordan Campbell 723 96 195 18 27 74 161 284
Kerron Johnson 614 70 139 105 141 18 39 263
Drew Hanlen 793 62 175 51 59 44 127 219
J.J. Mann 532 79 198 15 23 36 110 209
Jon House 646 65 132 41 60 11 28 182
Trevor Noack 505 68 168 16 21 29 96 181
Blake Jenkins 344 42 94 35 51 9 28 128
Brandon Baker 414 40 108 9 14 21 73 110
Adam Barnes 109 13 22 2 3 3 5 31
Jonny Rice 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Holden Mobley 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals -- 926 1996 559 758 321 842 2732
Player OFFR DEFR REB AST TO STL BLK

Ian Clark 16 64 80 63 51 43 6
Mick Hedgepeth 81 123 204 22 46 20 22
Scott Saunders 61 121 182 11 43 11 40
Jordan Campbell 36 72 108 74 36 47 14
Kerron Johnson 15 33 48 92 74 68 1
Drew Hanlen 8 52 60 137 47 25 0
J.J. Mann 31 48 79 34 29 31 1
Jon House 50 65 115 57 43 30 8
Trevor Noack 35 75 110 18 28 16 9
Blake Jenkins 29 44 73 21 35 10 5
Brandon Baker 21 46 67 22 24 25 12
Adam Barnes 3 4 7 6 7 5 0
Jonny Rice 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Holden Mobley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 445 791 1236 557 473 331 118
GP: Games played GS: Games started
MIN: Minutes FGM: Field Goals Made
FGA: Field Goals Attempted FG%: Field Goals Percentage per game
PTS: Points APG: Assists per game
SPG: Steals per game FTM: Free Throws Made
FTA: Free Throws Attempted FT%: Free Throws Percentage per game
RPG: Rebounds per game AST: Assists
TO: Turnovers STL: Steals
BPG: Blocks per game TPG: Turnovers per game
PPG: Points per game BLK: Blocks
OFFR: Offensive Rebounds DEFR: Defensive Rebounds
REB: Rebounds 3PM: Three-point Field Goals Made
3PA: Three-point Field Goals Attempted
3P%: Three-point Field Goals Percentage
Game 1, at Tennessee Volunteers
Belmont 76 (23) Tennessee 85
(0-1, 0-1 away) (2-0, 2-0 home)
9:30 PM ET, November 16, 2010

Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN
1 2 T
BEL 35 41 76
#23 TENN 41 44 85
Top Performers
Belmont: I. Clark 18 Pts, 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl
Tennessee: S. Hopson 18 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Ast
Belmont gives Tennessee all it can handle in NIT Season Tip-Off
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Missed free throws contributed to Tennessee's

preseason exhibition loss. The extra time spent on foul shots in the gym may
have saved the Volunteers (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today, No. 24 AP) against
Belmont in the first round of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
The Vols blew all but one point of a 17-point lead late against the Bruins, but
hit all eight of their free throws in the final minute and finished 32 of 40 at
the line for the game to hang on to win 85-76 on Tuesday night.
"That's what we've been drilling over the past two weeks," Tennessee
guardCameron Tatum said. "That's what hurt us in the Indianapolis game.
Everybody has been taking the opportunity to get into the gym and shoot
free throws before and after practice. It paid dividends tonight."
Tennessee (2-0) held a 71-54 lead with 7:01 to play, but Belmont pressed
the Vols and Drew Hanlen had three 3-pointers as part of a 22-6 run to cut
the lead to a point. Mick Hedgepeth was fouled by John Fields while
scrambling for a rebound and hit one free throw but missed a second that
would have tied the game at 77 with 36.6 seconds left.
Tatum hit two foul shots for Tennessee after being fouled by Brandon Baker,
andIan Clark missed another chance to tie the game on a clean 3-point shot
that bounced off the rim. Trae Golden, Harris and Hopson each hit two free
throws to preserve the win.
"To their credit, they are not a particularly good free-throw shooting team,
but they made their free throws and put the game away," Belmont coach
Rick Byrd said.
Scotty Hopson led the Vols with 18 points, freshman Tobias Harris had 16
and Tatum 14. Clark led Belmont (0-1) with 18 points, Hanlen had 13 and
Hedgepeth 10.
The Vols advance to play Missouri State in the second round on Wednesday
night for a chance to travel to New York City for the semifinals. The Bruins
will play a consolation game against Arkansas State.
Both teams played physically in the paint, and the officials made them pay
for their scrappy play. Belmont was called for 32 fouls, and Tennessee was
charged with 28.
The Vols combined 32-of-40 shooting from the free throw line with 53.2
percent shooting from the field. They got two free throws from Skylar McBee,
another set from Melvin Goins and a traditional three-point play from Tatum
to go up 20-12 lead with 11:24 in the first half.
The Bruins have made a name for themselves in the past with their
sharpshooting but got a few points in the lane. Scott Saunders stole the ball
from Goins and dished it to Clark for a fastbreak layup with 1:17 in the first
half that cut the Vols' lead to four points, the closest Belmont would get for
the rest of the game.
Hopson took a hard fall with about a minute left before halftime and hobbled
to the locker room favoring his right knee. It didn't seem to bother him after
the break as he hit the Vols' first 3-pointer of the game followed by a dunk to
put Tennessee up 48-35, and a dunk by Renaldo Woolridge pushed the
margin to 17 with 7:01 left.
Belmont and Tennessee have played each other twice.
The Volunteers' 77-68 victory over the Bruins on Dec. 20, 2004, was a one-
possession game inside two minutes before Tennessee pulled away. The
Bruins pulled within a point of Tennessee in the Dec. 20, 2008, meeting, but
Bobby Maze hit a free throw to seal the 79-77 win while Belmont's Alex
Renfroe missed two free throws that could have sent it to overtime.
"We survived some different things. I think tonight, we survived and we
became a better basketball team because of some of the things we did well
and some of the things that we didn't execute," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl
said.
Team Stat Comparison
BEL TENN
Points 76 85
FG Made-Attempted 25-57 (.439) 25-47 (.532)
3P Made-Attempted 7-26 (.269) 3-11 (.273)
FT Made-Attempted 19-28 (.679) 32-40 (.800)
Fouls (Tech/Flagrant) 32 (0/0) 28 (0/0)
Largest Lead 0 9
Game Leaders
BEL TENN
Points I. Clark 18 S. Hopson 18
Rebounds M. Hedgepeth 5 T. Harris 7
Assists J. Campbell 4 T. Golden 5
Steals B. Baker 3 T. Golden 1
Game 2, vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves
Belmont 93 Arkansas St 60
(1-1, 0-1 away) (0-3, 0-0 home)
1 2 T
BEL 52 41 93
ARST 23 37 60
Top Performers
Belmont: I. Clark 18 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk
Arkansas State: M. Adams 13 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Stl, 1 Blk
Belmont 93, Arkansas St. 60

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Ian Clark scored 18 points as Belmont beat
Arkansas State 93-60 to take third place in the South region of the NIT
Season Tip-Off on Wednesday night.
Brandon Baker hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Clark added a third as

Belmont (1-1) jumped out to a 9-0 lead that it would never relinquish.
The Bruins used an 8-0 run and an 11-2 run to build their margin and
take a 52-23 halftime lead.
Belmont scored 44 points off the bench, hit 52.6 percent of its shots,
sank 12 3-pointers and led by as many as 35 points in the second
half. Mick Hedgepethscored 14 points for the Bruins and Scott
Saunders added 11.
Arkansas State's 20-of-24 shooting at the free throw line couldn't

overcome a 35.2 percent effort from the floor.
Martavius Adams led the Red Wolves (0-3) with 13 points.

BEL ARST
Points 93 60
3P Made-Attempted 12-25 (.480) 2-16 (.125)
Largest Lead 33 0
Game Leaders
BEL ARST
Points I. Clark 18 M. Adams 13
Rebounds B. Jenkins 7 B. Peterson 8
Assists D. Hanlen 8 T. Finn 3
Steals K. Johnson 2 D. Boone 2

BEL ARST
Blocks B. Baker 2 M. Adams 1
Game 3, vs. Marist College Red Foxes

Marist 74 Belmont 102
(0-4, 0-2 away) (2-1, 0-0 home)

Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC
1 2 T
MRST 19 55 74
BEL 46 56 102
Top Performers
Marist: S. Prescott 15 Pts, 2 Reb, 4 Ast
Belmont: S. Saunders 24 Pts, 6 Reb, 1 Ast
Belmont 102, Marist 74
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Scott Saunders led five players in double
figures with career-high 24 points Monday and Belmont routed Marist
102-74 in an NIT Season Tip-Off consolation game.
The Bruins jumped on the Red Foxes from the outset and seldom let
up. It has been that kind of season for the Red Foxes (0-4), who have
been blown out by at least 20 points in each of their defeats.
From the opening tipoff, Belmont (2-1) scored in spurts of at least six
unanswered points four times in the first 14 minutes, building a 31-10
lead. The Bruins harassed Marist into 21 turnovers and took advantage
of them for 30 points.
Belmont led 46-19 at halftime and expanded the lead to 36 points in
the second half.
Ian Clark and J.J. Mann each had 12 points for Belmont, while Jon
House and Mick Hedgepeth each added 11.
Sam Prescott came off the bench to lead Marist with 15 points in 22
minutes.

MRST BEL
Points 74 102
3P Made-Attempted 9-17 (.529) 9-20 (.450)
Largest Lead 0 36
Game Leaders
MRST BEL
Points S. Prescott 15 S. Saunders 24
Rebounds J. Bowie 7 S. Saunders 6
Assists S. Prescott 4 D. Hanlen 8
Steals D. Goodwin 2 I. Clark 3
Blocks P. Prinsloo 2 T. Noack 1
Game 4, vs. Winthrop University Eagles

Winthrop 44 Belmont 71
(2-3, 1-0 away) (3-1, 0-0 home)
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC
1 2 T
WIN 21 23 44
BEL 36 35 71
Top Performers
Winthrop: M. Morgan 14 Pts, 10 Reb, 3 Blk
Belmont: S. Saunders 9 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Stl, 3 Blk
Belmont 71, Winthrop 44
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Freshman J.J. Mann had a career-high 12
points and nine rebounds to lead Belmont in a 71-44 rout of Winthrop
on Tuesday in the NIT Season Tip-Off.
The Bruins (3-1) outrebounded the Eagles 54-36, thanks to 10
rebounds apiece from Mick Hedgepeth and Scott Saunders, who just
missed double-doubles by scoring nine points each.
Belmont had 15 of its 24 offensive rebounds in the first half, jumping
out to a 14-4 lead in the first 4:41 and leading 36-21 at the break.
Winthrop (2-3) closed to 36-30 to open the second half, sparked by
four points from Matt Morgan. Belmont quickly pushed the lead back
into double digits, holding the Eagles scoreless from the 14:15 mark
until Robbie Dreher hit a free throw with 7:20 left.
The Bruins outshot Winthrop 38 percent (27 of 71) to 32 percent (16
of 50).
Morgan, who scored 14 points, was the only Eagles player in double
figures.

WIN BEL
Points 44 71
3P Made-Attempted 1-7 (.143) 9-32 (.281)
WIN BEL
Largest Lead 2 29
Game Leaders
WIN BEL
Points M. Morgan 14 J. Mann 12
Rebounds M. Morgan 10 S. Saunders 10
Assists R. Dreher 3 D. Hanlen 6
Steals R. Dreher 2 K. Johnson 2
Blocks M. Morgan 3 S. Saunders 3
Game 5, at Tennessee State Tigers

Belmont 87 Tennessee St 72
(4-1, 1-1 away) (1-5, 1-1 home)
Gentry Center, Nashville, TN
1 2 T
BEL 49 38 87
TNST 23 49 72
Top Performers
Belmont: M. Hedgepeth 15 Pts, 8 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Blk
Tennessee State: W. Peters 15 Pts, 3 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl
Belmont 87, Tennessee St. 72
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Mick Hedgepeth scored 15 points and Belmont
cruised to an 87-72 win over Tennessee State on Monday night.
Belmont (4-1) led 49-23 at halftime as J.J. Mann scored all 13 of his
points before the break and Scott Saunders chipped in 12 of his final
14.
Hedgepeth had 11 points in the second half, with Kerron
Johnson scoring six of his 11 in the final period as the Bruins
maintained a cushion of at least 11 points.
Trailing 77-57 with 4:33 left, the Tigers (1-4) used an 11-2 run to
make it 79-68 with 2:25 to go, but could get no closer.
Belmont shot 26 for 27 from the free-throw line (96.3 percent) and 25
for 49 from the field (51 percent) while Tennessee State shot 17 of 18
from the line (94.4 percent) and 23 of 43 from the field (43.4
percent).
Robert Covington led the Tigers with 18 points, Kenny Moore and Wil
Peters had 15 each and Patrick Miller had 14.

BEL TNST
Points 87 72
3P Made-Attempted 11-26 (.423) 9-22 (.409)
BEL TNST
Largest Lead 26 0
Game Leaders
BEL TNST
Points M. Hedgepeth 15 R. Covington 18
Rebounds M. Hedgepeth 8 K. Moore 5
Assists J. Campbell 4 W. Peters 5
Steals J. Mann 2 P. Miller 3
Blocks J. Campbell 1 M. Green 3
Game 6, vs. Mercer University Bears

Mercer 67 Belmont 89
(2-6, 0-1 A-Sun) (5-1, 1-0 A-Sun)
8:15 PM ET, December 2, 2010
Curb Event Center, Nashville, TN
1 2 T
MER 30 37 67
BEL 44 45 89
Top Performers
Mercer: B. Moore 22 Pts, 10 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk
Belmont: M. Hedgepeth 19 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast
Belmont 89, Mercer 67

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Mick Hedgepeth scored 19 points and Belmont
opened Atlantic Sun Conference play with an 89-67 victory over
Mercer on Thursday night.
Hedgepeth was 8 for 12 from the field and Ian Clark added 16 points

in the home opener for the Bruins (5-1), who have won five
consecutive games.
Belmont, which scored 29 points off Mercer's 21 turnovers, held a 44-

30 halftime lead, the fifth straight game the Bruins have led by at least
14 points at the break.
The Bruins took control in the final 2 minutes of the first half and the
first 2 minutes of the second half, extending a 37-30 lead to 49-32
with 18:42 to play.
Kerron Johnson added 10 points for the Bruins and Drew Hanlen had

eight assists, his third game with at least eight this season.
Brandon Moore led Mercer (2-6) with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Brian

Mills added 14 points and Jeff Smith had 11 for the Bears.
MER BEL
Points 67 89
3P Made-Attempted 9-19 (.474) 9-25 (.360)
Largest Lead 0 22
Game Leaders
MER BEL
Points B. Moore 22 M. Hedgepeth 19
Rebounds B. Moore 10 B. Baker 9
Assists L. Hall 6 D. Hanlen 8
Steals B. Mills 2 D. Hanlen 3
Blocks B. Moore 2 B. Baker 2

Game 7, vs. Mercer University Bears
Belmont 76 Vanderbilt 85
(5-2, 1-0 A-Sun) (7-1, 5-0 home)
Memorial Gym, Nashville, TN
1 2 T
BEL 35 41 76
VAN 32 53 85
Top Performers
Belmont: M. Hedgepeth 16 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Stl
Vanderbilt: F. Ezeli 24 Pts, 10 Reb, 4 Stl, 3 Blk
Vanderbilt 85, Belmont 76
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Festus Ezeli scored a career-high 24 points and
added 10 rebounds as Vanderbilt beat cross-town rival Belmont 85-76
on Saturday.
Ezeli scored 17 points in the second half as the Commodores overcame
a 35-32 halftime deficit.
Vanderbilt scored the first six points of the second half and never
trailed again. The Commodores shot 57 percent (12 of 21) over the
final 20 minutes.
Jeffery Taylor added 16 points and eight rebounds for the
Commodores (7-1).Lance Goulbourne had 15 points, and Brad
Tinsley added 14 as Vanderbilt attempted 45 free throws -- the most
in the Kevin Stallings era (2000-present). The Commodores made 35
of them.
Belmont was led by Mick Hedgepeth with 16 points. Kerron
Johnson added 13, andJordan Campbell had 12.
The scrappy Bruins (5-2) led by as much as seven in the first half
before settling for a three-point lead at the break.

BEL VAN
Points 76 85
3P Made-Attempted 7-23 (.304) 6-12 (.500)
Largest Lead 7 13
Game Leaders
BEL VAN
Points M. Hedgepeth 16 F. Ezeli 24
Rebounds M. Hedgepeth 5 F. Ezeli 10
Assists D. Hanlen 4 J. Taylor 2
Steals K. Johnson 2 F. Ezeli 4
Blocks S. Saunders 1 F. Ezeli 3
Game 8, vs. Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
Mid Tennessee 87 Belmont 88
(4-5, 1-3 away) (6-2, 1-0 A-Sun)
1 2 OT 2OT T
MTU 32 38 10 7 87
BEL 38 32 10 8 88
Top Performers
Middle Tennessee: J. Sulton 19 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk
Belmont: J. Campbell 24 Pts, 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk
Belmont 88, Middle Tennessee 87
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jordan Campbell scored a career-high 24 points
on eight 3-pointers and Belmont defeated Middle Tennessee 88-87 in
double overtime Tuesday night.
Ian Clark added 15 points and Mick Hedgepeth had 10 for the Bruins
(6-2), who have scored at least 85 points in each of their past four
games.
Tied 80-80 at the end of the first overtime, Hedgepeth hit two straight
baskets as the Bruins bolted to an 86-80 lead with 2:25
remaining. Jason Jones hit two free throws for Middle Tennessee to cut
the lead to 86-84 with 1:38 to play. But the Bruins answered with two
free throws by Jon House with 5 seconds left to put the game out of
reach at 88-84. The Blue Raiders hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the
final margin.
Jones, J.T. Sulton and James Washington each scored 19 points for the
Blue Raiders (4-5).

MTU BEL
Points 87 88
3P Made-Attempted 5-15 (.333) 12-29 (.414)
Largest Lead 1 12
Game Leaders
MTU BEL
Points J. Washington III 19 J. Campbell 24
Rebounds T. Ottley 7 M. Hedgepeth 9
Assists T. Ottley 2 D. Hanlen 5
Steals J. Jones 2 J. Mann 3
Blocks T. Ottley 2 S. Saunders 3
Game 9, vs. Kennesaw State Owls
Kennesaw St 60 Belmont 87
(2-7, 0-1 A-Sun) (7-2, 2-0 A-Sun)
1 2 T
KENN 29 31 60
BEL 39 48 87
Top Performers
Kennesaw State: K. McConnell 11 Pts, 1 Reb, 2 Ast
Belmont: S. Saunders 19 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 4 Blk
Belmont 87, Kennesaw State 60

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Scott Saunders had 19 points, 10 rebounds and
four blocked shots off the bench to lead Belmont to an 87-60 win over
Kennesaw State on Thursday night.
The Bruins (7-2, 2-0 Atlantic Sun Conference) led 39-29 at halftime
and extended the lead to 45-29 with 18:41 left.
The Owls used a 12-1 run to get to 46-41 with 15:50 to go. With
Belmont leading 59-50, the Bruins went on a 15-0 spurt to put the
game away.
Belmont outrebounded the Owls 53-38, including 33-15 in the second

half.
Brandon Baker and Drew Hanlen added 11 points apiece for Belmont

and J.J. Mannadded 10.
The Owls (2-7, 0-1), who have lost seven straight, were led by
freshman Brandon Dawson with a career-high 12 points off the
bench. Kelvin McConnell added 11 points.
Belmont outshot Kennesaw State from the field 47.1 percent (32 of
68) to 33.3 percent (22 of 65). The Bruins hit 9 of 23 3-pointers.
KENN BEL
Points 60 87
3P Made-Attempted 7-21 (.333) 9-23 (.391)
Largest Lead 0 27
Game Leaders
KENN BEL
Points B. Dawson 12 S. Saunders 19
Rebounds M. Cummings 9 S. Saunders 10
Assists S. Dixon 3 D. Hanlen 5
Steals A. Marine 1 B. Baker 2
Blocks M. Heramb 2 S. Saunders 4
Game 10, at Troy Trojans

Belmont 98 Troy 63
(8-2, 2-0 A-Sun) (1-9, 0-1 Sun Belt)
Trojan Arena, Troy, AL
1 2 T
BEL 51 47 98
TROY 25 38 63
Top Performers
Belmont: S. Saunders 13 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk
Troy: S. Patterson 24 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Blk
Belmont 98, Troy 63
TROY, Ala. -- Jordan Campbell scored 15 points, Belmont used a
strong early run and capitalized on Troy's first-half mistakes in a 98-63
rout on Saturday.
Campbell, who scored all of his points on five 3-pointers, led four other
Bruin players that scored in double figures. Scott Saunders and Ian
Clark each finished with 13 points, while Mick Hedgepeth and J.J.
Mann had 10 apiece.
Belmont (8-2), which has won three straight, trailed 8-5 before going
on a 33-5 run over the next 11 minutes of the first half to eventually
claim a 51-25 lead at halftime. The Bruins forced 18 turnovers by Troy
(1-9), which has lost nine in a row.
Shawntez Patterson led the Trojans with 24 points on 9 of 12 shooting
from the field, making six of his shots from behind the 3-point
line. Vernon Taylor had 13 points and Will Weathers had 12 points and
a game-high eight turnovers.

BEL TROY
Points 98 63
3P Made-Attempted 12-26 (.462) 8-19 (.421)
BEL TROY
Largest Lead 35 0
Game Leaders
BEL TROY
Points J. Campbell 15 S. Patterson 24
Rebounds S. Saunders 7 B. Toombs 6
Assists K. Johnson 5 W. Weathers 4
Steals I. Clark 5 W. Weathers 5
Blocks M. Hedgepeth 1 B. Toombs 2
Game 11, at Alabama State Hornets

Belmont 66 Alabama St 53
(9-2, 2-0 A-Sun) (2-9, 2-1 home)
Dunn-Oliver Acadome, Montgomery, AL
1 2 T
BEL 28 38 66
ALST 22 31 53
Top Performers
Belmont: D. Hanlen 6 Pts, 3 Reb, 8 Ast, 4 Stl
Alabama State: I. White 10 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 Blk
Belmont 66, Alabama St. 53
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- J.J. Mann scored 15 points and Belmont held off
Alabama State 66-53 on Monday night.
The Bruins (9-2) jumped out to a 9-0 lead, keeping the Hornets (2-9)
scoreless for the first 10:08.
Alabama State, however, answered with a 16-2 run to lead 16-11
on Ivan Johnson's free throws with 4:57 left in the first half. The
Hornets made it 18-14 with 3:39 to play in the half before Mann
scored 10 straight. His 3 with 1:19 left until halftime put the Bruins
ahead 24-18.
Belmont, which shot 31.3 percent in the first half (10 of 32), made
52.2 percent (12 of 23) in the second to win its third straight.
The Bruins outscored Alabama State 38-31 in the second half, in which
they led by as many as 20.
Ian Clark finished with 12 points and Drew Hanlen had eight assists
and four steals for Belmont.
Ivory White had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets.

BEL ALST
Points 66 53
3P Made-Attempted 10-23 (.435) 4-19 (.211)
BEL ALST
Largest Lead 17 3
Game Leaders
BEL ALST
Points J. Mann 15 S. Brown 11
Rebounds S. Saunders 5 I. White 10
Assists D. Hanlen 8 J. Middlebrooks 4
Steals D. Hanlen 4 I. White 3
Blocks J. House 1 I. Johnson 3
Game 12, at Tennessee Volunteers

Belmont 65 (18) Tennessee 66
(9-3, 2-0 A-Sun) (8-3, 5-2 home)
1 2 T
BEL 23 42 65
#18 TENN 35 31 66
Top Performers
Belmont: S. Saunders 12 Pts, 9 Reb
Tennessee: T. Harris 17 Pts, 7 Reb, 3 Ast, 5 Stl, 3 Blk
Tennessee ends three-game losing skid with win
vs. Belmont
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl made sure his
players didn't leave the locker room feeling too happy heading into
their holiday break.
The Volunteers (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP) finally ended a
three-game losing skid with a 66-65 win over Belmont on Thursday
night but blew a 13-point lead and needed a layup by Scotty
Hopson with 5.7 seconds left to get the victory.
"That was certainly a win that we needed, but it's not one that I feel
great about," Pearl said after spending more time than usual in the
locker room following the game. "That was not a happy locker room. I
want them coming back right and ready."
Tennessee (8-3) has never lost four games in a row during Pearl's six
seasons at the helm but was on the verge of doing that after following
up a 7-0 start and a win over No. 3 Pittsburgh on Dec. 11 with narrow
losses to Oakland, Charlotte and Southern California.
"This is great. We need to build on this," said Hopson, who had a
combined 15 points in the losses to Oakland and USC. "Even though
we just won by one, we know we're a much better team than this.
They picked us to finish fourth in the [Southeastern Conference East
Division], and we've still got that to look at in the back of our minds
and we know we've got to progress."
The Vols had a 62-56 lead with 2:47 to go, but the Bruins (9-3) scored
the next seven points. Jon House was fouled by Brian Williams as he
hit a layup with 48 seconds left to make it 63-62, but he missed the
foul shot.
Hopson, who scored the final nine points for Tennessee, hit a pair of
free throws, and Belmont's Mitch Hedgepeth answered with a layup.
After a Bruins timeout, Williams and Kenny Hall cleared the lane for
Hopson, who drove through and hit his game-winning basket.
"The kid made a good play," Belmont coach Rick Byrd said. "I didn't
scheme very well defensively in the last possession. They had more
luck driving on us. They sealed our help inside and we couldn't get
there."
Kerron Johnson took a 3-pointer from the wing at the buzzer for the
Bruins, but it rimmed out.
Tobias Harris added 17 points and five steals for Tennessee.
Scott Saunders came off the bench to lead Belmont with 12 points.
Hedgepeth had 11 and Trevor Noack 10.
Pearl and the Vols knew exactly how dangerous the Bruins would be
coming to Knoxville. Tennessee had won the three previous meetings,
but all by fewer than 10 points, and Belmont had already visited
Thompson-Boling Arena this season in the first round of the NIT
Season Tip-Off on Nov. 16.
The story was much the same in that game. Belmont rallied from a 17-
point deficit with 7 minutes remaining and had two chances in the final
36 seconds to tie the game, but the Vols prevailed 85-76 and went on
to win the tournament.
"They certainly have played us as well as anybody at the mid-major
level, and I will do everything I can to try not to schedule them again,"
Pearl said. "I don't know, you had to enjoy that. You had to enjoy
some of that execution and obviously a great deal of the drama."
This time Tennessee used free throws in the first half to build a 35-23
halftime lead. The Vols went 22 for 37 from the free throw line overall
while Belmont attempted only 10 foul shots, making seven.
The Bruins, normally a 46.2 percent shooting team, went 9 of 38 from
the field in the first half and hit only three of 22 3-point shots. Ian
Clark, who leads Belmont with an average 12.5 points per game, was
scoreless at halftime and finished with six.
Belmont looked much more like itself after the break, making its first
four shots for a 9-0 run that cut Tennessee's lead to 35-32, and the
Vols never got comfortable after that.
"Coach said that most of them were good shots, they just weren't
falling for us. We hit a better percentage in the second half, but we
would have liked to have some of those back," Saunders said.
Fast Facts
• Scotty Hopson scored the Volunteers' final nine points, including the game-
winning layup.
• Hopson scored a game-high 19 points. He averaged 9.3 PPG on 8-31 (25.8
pct) shooting in his previous 3 games.
• This is the third straight game decided by one point for the Volunteers but
their first win.
• Belmont has lost 11 straight against ranked opponents and is 1-17
against ranked opponents over the past 15 seasons.

BEL TENN
Points 65 66
3P Made-Attempted 8-35 (.229) 4-14 (.286)
Largest Lead 3 13
BEL TENN
Points S. Saunders 12 S. Hopson 19
Rebounds S. Saunders 9 B. Williams 8
Assists I. Clark 5 M. Goins 5
Steals I. Clark 2 T. Harris 5
Miami (OH) 72 Belmont 83
(5-8, 0-5 away) (10-3, 2-0 A-Sun)
1 2 T
M-OH 29 43 72
BEL 44 39 83
Top Performers
Miami (OH): A. Ballard 18 Pts, 6 Reb
Belmont: K. Johnson 15 Pts, 1 Reb, 1 Ast
Belmont 83, Miami (Ohio) 72
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Drew Hanlen scored 17 points, Kerron
Johnson added 15 andTrevor Noack 11 as Belmont defeated Miami
(Ohio) 83-72 on Thursday.
The point totals for Hanlen, Johnson and Noack were all new career
highs as the Bruins (10-3) improved to 8-0 against teams from outside
the state of Tennessee.
Belmont trailed 19-18 with 10:11 left in the opening half, but went on
a 10-0 run to take a 28-19 lead. Belmont ended the half on a 26-10
run to take a 44-29 haltime lead.
The RedHawks (5-8) started the second half on a 11-2 run to pull
within six, 46-40, and trailed by as few as five, 72-67, with 2:53
remaining.
Nick Winbush scored 19 and Antonio Ballard added 18 for Miami, which
has lost three straight.
Belmont's only losses this season have come against ranked
opponents inside the state of Tennessee. The Bruins have lost twice to
then-ranked Tennessee and to No. 24 Vanderbilt.

M-OH BEL
Points 72 83
3P Made-Attempted 10-21 (.476) 7-26 (.269)
Largest Lead 2 15
Game Leaders
M-OH BEL
Points N. Winbush 19 D. Hanlen 17
Rebounds J. Mavunga 8 J. House 8
Assists C. McHenry 5 J. House 2
Steals O. Williams 3 J. House 2
Blocks J. Mavunga 1 B. Baker 1
Game 14, at Florida Gulf Coast Eagles

Belmont 83 FLA Gulf Coast 51
(11-3, 3-0 A-Sun) (3-9, 0-3 A-Sun)
7:30 PM ET, January 3, 2011
Alico Arena, Fort Myers, FL
1 2 T
BEL 28 55 83
FGC 25 26 51
Top Performers
Belmont: I. Clark 17 Pts, 3 Reb, 3 Ast
Florida Gulf Coast: A. Banks 13 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Blk
Belmont 83, Florida Gulf Coast 51
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Ian Clark led four Belmont players in double
figures with 17 points, and the Bruins pulled away in the second half to
rout Florida Gulf Coast 83-51 on Monday night.
Rick Byrd earned his 499th victory in 25 seasons at Belmont, thanks to
the contributions of Clark, Scott Saunders (14 points), Jordan
Campbell (13) andTrevor Noack (12).
Twenty-five FGCU turnovers helped as well. The Bruins (11-3, 3-0
Atlantic Sun) converted those miscues into an advantage in scoring
opportunities. The Bruins made 20 of 32 shots from the field in the
second half, while the Eagles made 8 of only 15. That's how Belmont,
which led only 28-25 at halftime, broke the game open.
At 3-9 overall, FGCU is 0-3 in Atlantic Sun play for the first time.
Anthony Banks, the Eagles' only player in double figures, scored 13
points.

BEL FGC
Points 83 51
3P Made-Attempted 11-30 (.367) 3-10 (.300)
Largest Lead 32 0
Game Leaders
BEL FGC
Points I. Clark 17 A. Banks 13
Rebounds M. Hedgepeth 7 A. Banks 5
Assists D. Hanlen 5 M. Rivera 3
Steals D. Hanlen 3 M. Rivera 2
BEL FGC
Blocks J. Campbell 1 A. Banks 1
Game 15, at Stetson Hatters

Belmont 70 Stetson 53
(4-10, 2-2 A-Sun)
(12-3, 4-0 A-Sun)

Edmunds Center, Deland, FL
1 2 T
BEL 38 32 70
STET 27 26 53
Top Performers
Stetson: C. Walden 14 Pts, 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 4 Stl
Belmont 70, Stetson 53

DELAND, Fla. -- J.J. Mann came off the bench to score 12 points and
starter Ian Clark added 10 points as Belmont defeated Stetson 70-53
in an Atlantic Sun Conference game Wednesday night.
Belmont (12-3, 4-0), which never trailed after the 12:50 mark of the
first half, provided Rick Byrd his 500th victory in his 25th season as
coach of the Bruins. It was his 592nd win overall as a college head
coach.
Stetson (4-10, 2-2), loser of its last 12 meetings with Belmont, was
led by 14 points from Corey Waldren, 13 from Ridge Graham and 12
from Steve Forbes.
Trailing 11-9 at 13:02 of the first half, Belmont scored 10 unanswered

points -- four by Blake Jenkins -- over the next three minutes to forge
a 19-11 advantage.
The Bruins used that 10-0 run and Stetson's cold shooting (7 for 22,
31.8 percent) to forge an 11-point advantage at the half, 38-27.
BEL STET
Points 70 53
3P Made-Attempted 8-20 (.400) 3-10 (.300)
Largest Lead 17 1
Game Leaders
BEL STET
Points J. Mann 12 C. Walden 14
Rebounds J. Campbell 6 L. Jacobo 8
Assists J. Campbell 5 A. Graham 4
Steals J. Campbell 2 C. Walden 4
Blocks J. Campbell 1 A. Graham 1

Game 16, vs. North Florida Ospreys
North Florida 59 Belmont 91

(5-10, 2-2 A-Sun) (13-3, 5-0 A-Sun)
1 2 T
UNF 30 29 59
BEL 44 47 91
Top Performers
North Florida: J. Granberry 18 Pts, 2 Reb, 3 Ast
Belmont: K. Johnson 10 Pts, 3 Reb, 6 Ast, 3 Stl
Belmont 91, North Florida 59
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Scott Saunders scored 15 points to lead a
balanced scoring attack as Belmont routed North Florida 91-59 on
Saturday to remain unbeaten in Atlantic Sun Conference play.
The Bruins (13-3, 5-0) have won eight of their last nine games, the
only loss coming by one point against Tennessee. All three of
Belmont's losses have come against Southeastern Conference teams,
two to Tennessee and one to Vanderbilt.
A layup by Jon House with 11:24 remaining in the first half broke a
16-16 tie and Belmont never trailed again. The Bruins led 44-30 at
halftime and 69-38 with 10:32 left to play.
Ian Clark scored 11 points, and Blake Jenkins, Kerron Johnson and J.J.
Mann had 10 each for Belmont, which shot 58.3 percent (28 of 48)
and had eight players score at least eight points.
Jerron Granberry scored 18 points for the Ospreys (5-10, 2-2), who have lost seven
of their last eight.

UNF BEL
Points 59 91
3P Made-Attempted 7-13 (.538) 8-19 (.421)
Largest Lead 0 32
Game Leaders
UNF BEL
Points J. Granberry 18 S. Saunders 15
Rebounds A. Diaz 6 S. Saunders 5
Assists B. Haugabrook 3 K. Johnson 6
UNF BEL
Steals A. Diaz 4 K. Johnson 3
Blocks K. Groothuis 1 S. Saunders 2
Game 17, vs. Jacksonville Dolphins

Jacksonville 50 Belmont 81
(10-4, 4-1 A-Sun) (14-3, 6-0 A-Sun)
8:30 PM ET, January 10, 2011
1 2 T
JAC 21 29 50
BEL 42 39 81
Top Performers
Jacksonville: R. Powell 16 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl
Belmont: S. Saunders 13 Pts, 12 Reb, 2 Blk
Belmont 81, Jacksonville 50
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kerron Johnson scored 15 points and Scott
Saunders had a double-double as Belmont routed Jacksonville 81-50
on Monday night to remain perfect in Atlantic Sun play.
Saunders scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Bruins
(14-3, 6-0), and Mick Hedgepeth had 11 points.
An early 11-1 run, and a J.J. Mann 3-pointer, gave the Bruins a 17-5
lead with 10:59 left in the first half. Belmont's used a balanced attach
-- shooting 44 percent from the field and clamping down on defense to
limit Jacksonville to 30 percent shooting -- to pull away from the
Dolphins.
The Bruins were 9 of 26 from 3-point range.
Russell Powell led the Dolphins (10-4, 4-1) with 16 points, and Glenn
Powell had 11.

JAC BEL
Points 50 81
3P Made-Attempted 2-12 (.167) 9-26 (.346)
Largest Lead 0 31
Game Leaders
JAC BEL
Points R. Powell 16 K. Johnson 15
Rebounds D. Graham 6 S. Saunders 12
Assists R. Powell 2 D. Hanlen 4
Steals R. Powell 2 K. Johnson 2
Blocks G. Powell 2 M. Hedgepeth 2
Game 18, vs. Lipscomb Bisons
Lipscomb 52 Belmont 88
(9-7, 4-3 A-Sun) (15-3, 7-0 A-Sun)
8:30 PM ET, January 13, 2011
1 2 T
LIP 21 31 52
BEL 43 45 88
Top Performers
Lipscomb: B. Barnes 11 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl
Belmont: M. Hedgepeth 15 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Bl
Belmont 88, Lipscomb 52
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Mick Hedgepeth scored 15 points and pulled
down 10 rebounds to lead Belmont to an 88-52 win over Lipscomb in
the Battle of the Boulevard series on Thursday night.
The Bruins (15-3, 7-0 Atlantic Sun Conference) had five players score
in double figures led by Drew Hanlen's 17. Ian Clark and Kerron
Johnson scored 12 each andScott Saunders added 11.
Belmont jumped out to a 20-3 lead with 13:47 remaining in the
opening half and led by at least 14 the rest of the way. The Bruins
shot 50 percent in the first half (16 of 32) en route to a 43-21 halftime
lead.
A layup from Saunders with 15:25 left to play extended Belmont's lead
to 53-29 before a 28-10 run increased the Bruins' advantage to 81-39
with 4:46 to go.
Brandon Barnes scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the
Bisons (9-7, 4-3), who were outrebounded 52-33 and shot just 29.7
percent from the floor (19 of 64).

LIP BEL
Points 52 88
3P Made-Attempted 5-20 (.250) 13-31 (.419)
Largest Lead 0 42
Game Leaders
LIP BEL
Points B. Barnes 11 D. Hanlen 17
LIP BEL
Rebounds B. Barnes 10 M. Hedgepeth 10
Assists J. Slater 3 D. Hanlen 7
Steals J. Slater 5 J. Campbell 3
Blocks A. Hodzic 1 T. Noack 2
Game 19, vs. Campbell Fighting Camels
Campbell 55 Belmont 90
(9-7, 3-4 A-Sun) (16-3, 8-0 A-Sun)
8:15 PM ET, January 15, 2011
1 2 T
CAMP 14 41 55
BEL 45 45 90
Top Performers
Campbell: R. Ferguson 11 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Ast
Belmont: I. Clark 20 Pts, 1 Reb, 5 Ast
Belmont 90, Campbell 55
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Ian Clark scored a season-high 20 points as
Belmont defeated Campbell 90-55 on Saturday night for its seventh
consecutive victory.
All seven victories have been by at least 20 points and the Bruins have
won the past four games by 30 or more points.
Scott Saunders and Mick Hedgepeth added 16 points each for the
Bruins (16-3, 8-0 Atlantic Sun Conference), who hit nine 3-pointers
and shot 53 percent from the field (33 of 62).
Campbell (9-7, 3-4), which entered leading the A-Sun in field-goal
percentage, was 5 of 24 from the field in the first half (20.8 percent)
as Belmont took a 45-14 lead, the third consecutive game the Bruins
have led by 20 or more points at halftime.
Belmont scored the first nine points of the second half for a 54-14 lead
with 17:03 left.
J.J. Mann added 10 points for the Bruins.
Rico Ferguson and Cole Dewey had 11 points each for Campbell.

CAMP BEL
Points 55 90
3P Made-Attempted 4-14 (.286) 9-20 (.450)
Largest Lead 0 39
Game Leaders
CAMP BEL
Points C. Dewey 11 I. Clark 20
CAMP BEL
Rebounds M. Harris 6 J. House 5
Assists R. Ferguson 2 I. Clark 5
Steals J. Hartley 1 K. Johnson 4
Blocks E. Griffin 2 M. Hedgepeth 3
Game 20, at South Carolina- Upstate Spartans

Belmont 67 USC Upstate 62
(17-3, 9-0 A-Sun) (2-16, 1-7 A-Sun)
7:00 PM ET, January 21, 2011
G.B. Hodge Center, Spartanburg, SC
1 2 T
BEL 30 37 67
SCUS 21 41 62
Top Performers
Belmont: M. Hedgepeth 19 Pts, 3 Reb
USC Upstate: T. Craig 23 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl
Belmont 67, S.C.-Upstate 62
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Mick Hedgepeth scored a season-high 19
points and Belmont held off South Carolina-Upstate 67-62 on Friday
night to remain undefeated in Atlantic Sun Conference play.
The Bruins (17-3, 9-0) saw an 11-point lead trimmed to 38-37 with
11:43 left on two free throws by Torrey Craig, who also hit back-to-
back 3-pointers.
The Spartans (2-16, 1-7) did not score again for 3 1/2 minutes as
Belmont built a nine-point cushion, then threatened again late.
Craig, who finished 5 of 11 from beyond the arc, hit a 3 to make it 65-
61 with 27 seconds to go. Belmont's Kerron Johnson missed two free
throws, then USC Upstate's Babatunde Olumuyiwa made 1 of 2 foul
shots for 65-62 with 8 seconds left.
A clutch rebound and two free throws from Hedgepeth secured the
victory.
Craig had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Josh Chavis added 13 points
for the Spartans, who have lost 10 straight.

BEL SCUS
Points 67 62
3P Made-Attempted 7-24 (.292) 9-28 (.321)
Largest Lead 11 2
Game Leaders
BEL SCUS
Points M. Hedgepeth 19 T. Craig 23
BEL SCUS
Rebounds T. Noack 7 T. Craig 10
Assists B. Jenkins 4 J. Chavis 5
Steals I. Clark 3 J. Chavis 1
Blocks J. Campbell 1 B. Olomuwiya 1
Game 21, at Eastern Tennessee State Buccaneers

Belmont 72 E Tenn St 62
(18-3, 10-0 A-Sun) (13-8, 8-2 A-Sun)
4:00 PM ET, January 23, 2011
Memorial Center, Johnson City, TN
1 2 T
BEL 37 35 72
ETSU 29 33 62
Top Performers
Belmont: J. House 17 Pts, 6 Reb, 6 Ast
East Tennessee State: M. Williams 22 Pts, 3 Reb
Belmont 72, ETSU 62
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- Jon House scored 17 points as Belmont
defeated East Tennessee State 72-62 Sunday, preventing a first-place
tie in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
The Bruins (18-3, 10-0) won their ninth in a row and snapped East
Tennessee State's nine-game winning streak. Instead of tying for the
conference lead, the second-place Buccaneers (13-8, 8-2) fell to two
games back.
Belmont made 12 of 26 from 3-point range (46.2 percent), and 13 of
29 (44.8 percent) closer to the basket.
Micah Williams scored 22 points to lead the Buccaneers, who overcame
a 12-point, first-half deficit to tie the score at 52 on Sheldon Cooley's
free throws with 8:50 left. But Ian Clark, who had 14 points for
Belmont, answered 11 seconds later with a layup, sparking a 17-7 run
that put the game away.
Jordan Campbell added 12 points off Belmont's bench, which outscored
the Buccaneer reserves 29-2.

BEL ETSU
Points 72 62
3P Made-Attempted 12-26 (.462) 4-8 (.500)
Largest Lead 12 0
Game Leaders
BEL ETSU
Points J. House 17 M. Williams 22
BEL ETSU
Rebounds T. Noack 7 I. Brown 8
Assists J. House 6 S. Cooley 3
Steals D. Hanlen 2 M. Smith 2
Blocks S. Saunders 1 I. Brown 3
Game 22, at Lipscomb Bisons

Belmont 64 Lipscomb 73
(18-4, 10-1 A-Sun) (12-8, 7-4 A-Sun)
8:00 PM ET, January 25, 2011
Allen Arena, Nashville, TN
1 2 T
BEL 40 24 64
LIP 31 42 73
Top Performers
Belmont: D. Hanlen 12 Pts, 3 Reb, 4 Ast
Lipscomb: B. Brown 17 Pts, 10 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Blk
Lipscomb 73, Belmont 64
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Adnan Hodzic scored 26 points and Brandon
Brown added 17 and 10 rebounds to lead Lipscomb to a 73-64 upset
win over Belmont on Tuesday night.
The Bisons (12-8, 7-4 Atlantic Sun Conference) shot 60 percent in the
second half (15 of 25) to overcome an 18-point deficit and hand
Belmont its first conference loss of the season.
The Bruins (18-4, 10-1) led 38-20 with 4:03 left in the opening half,
but an 11-2 run by Lipscomb to end the half made the score 40-31 in
favor of Belmont at the break.
Jordan Burgason hit a 3-pointer to tie the score at 50 with 7:49 left to
play and a layup from Hodzic 26 seconds later gave the Bisons a 52-51
lead.
Lipscomb continued to lead, 65-62, with 1:33 on the clock before
ending the game on an 8-2 run.
Drew Hanlen scored 12, Jon House added 11 and Blake Jenkins 10 for
the Bruins, who shot 8 of 31 in the second half (25.8 percent).

BEL LIP
Points 64 73
3P Made-Attempted 9-29 (.310) 4-14 (.286)
Largest Lead 10 9
Game Leaders
BEL LIP
Points D. Hanlen 12 A. Hodzic 26
BEL LIP
Rebounds M. Hedgepeth 6 B. Brown 10
Assists D. Hanlen 4 J. Slater 5
Steals J. Campbell 3 R. Boyd 2
Blocks M. Hedgepeth 2 R. Boyd 1
Game 23, vs. Florida Gulf Coast Eagles

FLA Gulf Coast 56 Belmont 89
(5-14, 2-8 A-Sun) (19-4, 11-1 A-Sun)
Coverage: ESPN3
7:00 PM ET, January 28, 2011
1 2 T
FGC 32 24 56
BEL 42 47 89
Top Performers
Florida Gulf Coast: A. Banks 14 Pts, 7 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 Blk
Belmont 89, Florida Gulf Coast 56
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Scott Saunders had 16 points and Belmont tied a
school record with 18 steals in an 89-56 rout of Florida Gulf Coast on
Friday night, sweeping the season series.
The Bruins (19-4, 11-1 Atlantic Sun Conference) used an 18-0 run to
break an 8-8 tie.
After the Eagles closed to 42-32 at halftime, Belmont opened the
second half with a 24-4 run.
Florida Gulf Coast (5-14, 2-8) could get no closer than 24 after that.
The Bruins forced 29 turnovers, a Curb Event Center record, and shot
47.6 percent from the field (30 of 63), hitting 11 of 30 3-pointers.
Belmont, which won the first meeting 83-51 on Jan. 3, avoided losing
two games in a row after its 73-64 loss to Lipscomb on Tuesday
snapped a nine-game winning streak.
Ian Clark added 15 points for the Bruins.
Christophe Varidel scored 15 to pace the Eagles, who shot 37 percent
from the floor (17 of 46).

FGC BEL
Points 56 89
3P Made-Attempted 5-12 (.417) 11-30 (.367)
Largest Lead 0 34
Game Leaders
FGC BEL
Points C. Varidel 15 S. Saunders 16
Rebounds K. Cantinol 8 S. Saunders 9
Assists M. Rivera 3 J. Campbell 7
Steals K. Cantinol 2 B. Baker 4
Blocks A. Banks 4 I. Clark 1
Game 24, vs. Stetson Hatters

Stetson 64 Belmont 82
(6-17, 4-8 A-Sun) (20-4, 12-1 A-Sun)
3:00 PM ET, January 30, 2011
1 2 T
STET 25 39 64
BEL 41 41 82
Top Performers
Stetson: C. Walden 19 Pts, 1 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl
Belmont: D. Hanlen 14 Pts, 3 Reb, 4 Ast
Belmont 82, Stetson 64

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Belmont coach Rick Byrd earned his 600th
coaching victory Sunday in the Bruins' 82-64 win over Stetson.
Byrd has won 508 games at Belmont, 69 at Lincoln Memorial and 23 at

Maryville (Tenn.), and became the 12th active coach in NCAA Division
I men's basketball to reach the 600 milestone.
Drew Hanlen and Ian Clark each scored 14 points as the Bruins (20-4,

12-1 Atlantic Sun Conference) won for the 11th time in the last 12
games, while sending the Hatters (6-17, 4-8) to their sixth consecutive
loss.
J.J. Mann and Trevor Noack added 10 points apiece.
The Bruins closed the first half on a 24-7 run to take a 41-25 halftime
lead. They built their biggest lead at 26 points, 67-41, on Blake
Jenkins' layup with 8:42 to go.
Jordan Campbell and Hanlen each had three 3-pointers as the Bruins

tied a season high with 13.
Corey Walden led Stetson with 19 points.

STET BEL
Points 64 82
3P Made-Attempted 5-13 (.385) 13-27 (.481)
Largest Lead 5 24
Game Leaders
STET BEL
Points C. Walden 19 D. Hanlen 14
Rebounds S. Forbes 7 M. Hedgepeth 9
Assists S. Forbes 2 D. Hanlen 4
Steals J. Naburgs 2 J. Campbell 3
Blocks S. Forbes 2 M. Hedgepeth 3

Game 25, at Jacksonville Dolphins
Belmont 76 Jacksonville 70
(21-4, 13-1 A-Sun) (14-7, 8-4 A-Sun)
7:30 PM ET, February 3, 2011

Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, FL
1 2 T
BEL 36 40 76
JAC 27 43 70
Top Performers
Belmont: K. Johnson 15 Pts, 5 Ast, 4 Stl
Jacksonville: D. Graham 10 Pts, 5 Reb, 6 Ast, 4 Stl, 3 Blk
Belmont 76, Jacksonville 70
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Kerron Johnson scored 15 points to lead
Belmont to a 76-70 win over Jacksonville on Thursday night.
Mick Hedgepeth added 14 points and Scott Saunders had 11 points
and 11 rebounds for the Bruins (21-4, 13-1 Atlantic Sun Conference),
who have won three consecutive games.
Belmont led throughout, but Jacksonville (14-7, 8-4), which had a
three-game winning streak snapped, stayed close and cut the margin
to 70-67 on Keith McDougald's layup with 1:08 remaining.
Johnson, however, hit four consecutive free throws to push the margin
to 74-67 with 14 seconds left.
Johnson was 9 for 9 from the line and the Bruins finished 15 of 19
(78.9 percent).
Ian Clark added 12 points for Belmont.
McDougald scored 15 points, Russell Powell had 12 and Ayron
Hardy and Delwan Graham scored 10 each for Jacksonville, which shot
55.2 percent from the field (16 of 29) in the second half.

BEL JAC
Points 76 70
3P Made-Attempted 3-10 (.300) 4-17 (.235)
Largest Lead 11 0
Game Leaders
BEL JAC
Points K. Johnson 15 K. McDougald 15
Rebounds S. Saunders 11 D. Graham 5
Assists K. Johnson 5 D. Graham 6
Steals K. Johnson 4 D. Graham 4
Blocks S. Saunders 2 D. Graham 3
Game 26, at North Florida Ospreys
Belmont 69 North Florida 67

(22-4, 14-1 A-Sun) (9-15, 6-7 A-Sun)
UNF Arena, Jacksonville, FL
1 2 T
BEL 28 41 69
UNF 26 41 67
Top Performers
Belmont: J. Campbell 21 Pts, 6 Reb
North Florida: P. Smith 30 Pts, 1 Reb
Belmont 69, North Florida 67
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jordan Campbell scored 21 points to lead a
furious rally that led Belmont to a 69-67 victory over North Florida on
Saturday night.
The Bruins (22-4, 14-1 Atlantic Sun Conference) trailed 59-48 with
6:31 to play -- equaling its largest deficit -- when they launched a 20-
2 run that turned the game around over the next 5:08. An Ian
Clark jumper made it 68-61 with 1:23 left.
North Florida (9-15, 6-7) continued to put the pressure on Belmont
and had a chance to tie the score with Matt Sauey at the free-throw
line, 1.8 seconds remaining and the Ospreys trailing by two. Sauey
made the first free throw but missed the second. North Florida was
forced to foul and Belmont's Scott Saundersmade a free throw with 1.2
seconds left to give the Bruins their final margin.
Mick Hedgepeth scored 12 points and Clark added 10 as the Bruins
won their fourth in a row.

BEL UNF
Points 69 67
3P Made-Attempted 8-20 (.400) 6-20 (.300)
Largest Lead 2 10
Game Leaders
BEL UNF
Points J. Campbell 21 P. Smith 30
Rebounds J. House 8 D. Jeune 10
Assists I. Clark 6 A. Diaz 4
Steals J. House 1 A. Diaz 3
Blocks S. Saunders 2 A. Diaz 2
Game 27, at Campbell Fighting Camels
Belmont 78 Campbell 57
(23-4, 15-1 A-Sun) (11-15, 5-11 A-Sun)
John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center, Buies Creek, NC
1 2 T
BEL 40 38 78
CAMP 32 25 57
Top Performers
Campbell: E. Griffin 17 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 5 Blk
Belmont 78, Campbell 57
BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Ian Clark scored 21 points as Belmont pulled
away from Campbell late to earn a 78-57 win Saturday.
The Bruins (23-4, 15-1 Atlantic Sun Conference) led 62-57 with 5:12
left to play and scored the final 16 points of the game as Campbell
went 0 for 7 from the floor in the last 5 minutes.
Drew Hanlen added 13 points and Scott Saunders had 11 for Belmont,
which shot 63.6 percent from the field (14 of 22) in the opening half.
The Camels (11-15, 5-11), who shot 31.3 percent from the floor (10 of
32) in the second half, never led and suffered their fifth straight
defeat.
Eric Griffin scored 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for
Campbell. Marvelle Harris added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bruins, who have won five straight and 14 of their past 15 games,
are 20-0 against teams residing outside their home state of
Tennessee.

BEL CAMP
Points 78 57
3P Made-Attempted 11-23 (.478) 1-7 (.143)
Largest Lead 21 0
Game Leaders
BEL CAMP
Points I. Clark 21 E. Griffin 17
Rebounds M. Hedgepeth 7 E. Griffin 11
Assists D. Hanlen 4 J. Hartley 6
Steals J. Campbell 3 E. Griffin 2
BEL CAMP
Blocks S. Saunders 4 E. Griffin 5
Game 28, vs. East Tennessee State Buccaneers
E Tenn St 58 Belmont 68

(19-10, 14-4 A-Sun) (24-4, 16-1 A-Sun)
1 2 T
ETSU 31 27 58
BEL 24 44 68
Top Performers
East Tennessee State: I. Brown 14 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 6 Blk
Belmont 68, ETSU 58
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Ian Clark scored 18 points and Belmont clinched
at least a share of the Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season title
with a 68-58 victory over East Tennessee State on Thursday night.
Scott Saunders added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Bruins (24-
4, 16-1), who have won six consecutive games and also secured the
No. 1 seed for the conference tournament by sweeping the second-
place Buccaneers (19-10, 14-4) this season.
ETSU led by as many as nine points in the first half and 31-24 at
halftime, but Belmont took a 40-38 lead with a 16-4 run and outscored
the Buccaneers 44-27 in the second half.
Belmont outrebounded ETSU 44-28 and committed only three second-
half turnovers (13 total) to offset shooting a season-low 32.7 percent
from field (17 of 52) in the game.
Justin Tubbs, Mike Smith and Isiah Brown scored 14 points each to
lead ETSU.

ETSU BEL
Points 58 68
3P Made-Attempted 5-13 (.385) 8-24 (.333)
Largest Lead 9 10
Game Leaders
ETSU BEL
Points J. Tubbs 14 I. Clark 18
Rebounds M. Smith 7 S. Saunders 8
Assists A. Sollazzo 5 J. Mann 3
ETSU BEL
Steals A. Sollazzo 3 J. Campbell 1
Blocks I. Brown 6 M. Hedgepeth 2
Game 29, vs. South Carolina – Upstate Spartans
USC Upstate 49 Belmont 81

(4-24, 3-15 A-Sun) (25-4, 17-1 A-Sun)
1 2 T
SCUS 26 23 49
BEL 36 45 81
Top Performers
USC Upstate: R. Glenn 12 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Blk
Belmont 81, S.C.-Upstate 49
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Ian Clark scored 20 points to lead Belmont to an
81-49 victory over South Carolina-Upstate on Saturday night.
Kerron Johnson and Jordan Campbell added 15 points each for the
Bruins (25-4, 17-1), who have won seven consecutive games and have
already clinched the top seed for the Atlantic Sun Conference
tournament, which begins March 2.
The Bruins missed seven of their first eight 3-point attempts, but then
hit 14 of their next 19 to finish 15 of 27 (55.6 percent) for the game.
Clark and Campbell were each 5 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Belmont led only 38-34 before outscoring the Spartans 43-15 in the
final 16:32 to improve to 8-0 all-time against USC Upstate. The Bruins
shot 73.9 percent from the field in the second half (17 of 23),
including 8 of 10 from the 3-point line.
Ricardo Glenn scored 12 points to lead the Spartans (4-24, 3-15), who
have lost five straight games.

SCUS BEL
Points 49 81
3P Made-Attempted 4-18 (.222) 15-27 (.556)
Largest Lead 5 32
Game Leaders
SCUS BEL
Points R. Glenn 12 I. Clark 20
Rebounds T. Craig 6 M. Hedgepeth 8
Assists M. Sloan 3 D. Hanlen 7
SCUS BEL
Steals M. Sloan 3 K. Johnson 3
Blocks R. Glenn 2 S. Saunders 2
Game 30, at Mercer Bears

Belmont 75 Mercer 64
(26-4, 18-1 A-Sun) (13-17, 10-9 A-Sun)
University Center, Macon, GA
1 2 T
BEL 39 36 75
MER 32 32 64
Top Performers
Belmont: M. Hedgepeth 10 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk
Mercer: B. Mills 15 Pts, 8 Reb, 2 Ast
MACON, Ga. -- Kerron Johnson scored 12 points and Jordan
Campbell and Mick Hedgepeth added 10 apiece as Belmont defeated
Mercer 75-64 on Thursday night.
The Bruins (26-4, 18-1 Atlantic Sun Conference) used a 13-0 run
midway through the second half to lead 58-38. J.J. Mann made a layup
with 7:28 left to play, extending the Bruins' lead to 64-40.
Belmont led 39-32 at halftime despite Mercer's 50-percent shooting
effort in the opening half (11 of 22).
The Bears (13-17, 10-9) ended the game on a 24-11 run, but their 15
turnovers and poor second-half shooting (12 of 32, 37.5 percent) were
too much to overcome.
Brian Mills scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Mercer,
which was outscored 36-22 in the paint and 40-29 in bench points.
Belmont has won eight straight and 17 of 18, while remaining a
perfect 21-0 against teams from outside the state of Tennessee.

BEL MER
Points 75 64
3P Made-Attempted 9-28 (.321) 5-19 (.263)
Largest Lead 20 0
Game Leaders
BEL MER
Points K. Johnson 12 B. Mills 15
Rebounds J. Campbell 7 B. Mills 8
Assists D. Hanlen 8 L. Hall 4
Steals I. Clark 2 B. Thomas 2
Blocks I. Clark 1 J. Cecil 4
Game 31, at Kennesaw State Owls

Belmont 88 Kennesaw St 41
(27-4, 19-1 A-Sun) (8-22, 6-14 A-Sun)
KSU Convocation Center, Kennesaw, GA
1 2 T
BEL 39 49 88
KENN 16 25 41
Top Performers
Belmont: K. Johnson 9 Pts, 2 Reb, 7 Ast, 9 Stl
Kennesaw State: M. Cummings 8 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 St
KENNESAW, Ga. -- Kerron Johnson had a Belmont record nine steals
as the Bruins tied a school-record with 18 in an 88-41 rout of
Kennesaw State on Saturday night.
The Bruins (27-4, 19-1 Atlantic Sun Conference) forced 23 turnovers
while holding the Owls (8-22, 6-14) to 32.6-percent shooting (14 of
43).
Scott Saunders paced the Bruins with 19 points, making 11 of 12 free
throws. Ian Clark added 14 points, Mick Hedgepeth finished with 11
and Blake Jenkins 10 for Belmont, which won by its largest margin
since Dec. 2007.
The Bruins trailed 9-8 with 11:20 left in the first half before going on a
27-2 run over the next 10 minutes to break it open.
The Bruins, who tied Kansas for most victories in Division I, held
Kennesaw State to 5-of-20 shooting to lead 39-16 at halftime.
Thirteen players saw action for the Owls with Markeith
Cummings and Aaron Anderson scoring eight each.

BEL KENN
Points 88 41
3P Made-Attempted 6-19 (.316) 3-14 (.214)
Largest Lead 50 1
Game Leaders
BEL KENN
Points S. Saunders 19 M. Cummings 8
Rebounds M. Hedgepeth 7 L. Green 7
Assists K. Johnson 7 S. Dixon 3
Steals K. Johnson 9 A. Marine 2
Blocks J. House 1 L. Green 1
Game 32, vs. Kennesaw State Owls
Kennesaw St 57 Belmont 72

(8-23, 6-14 A-Sun) (28-4, 19-1 A-Sun)
2:30 PM ET, March 2, 2011
1 2 T
KENN 28 29 57
BEL 35 37 72
Top Performers
Kennesaw State: M. Cummings 20 Pts, 7 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl
MACON, Ga. -- Ian Clark had 14 points and Belmont had 11 different
Belmont players score in a 72-57 win over Kennesaw State on
Wednesday in the first round of the Atlantic Sun Conference
tournament.
The top-seeded Bruins (28-4) will play the winner of Thursday's
Mercer-Lipscomb game.
Belmont fell behind early by seven points but rallied to lead 35-28 at
halftime and used a strong second half to steadily pull away.
Mark Hedgepeth finished with 12 points, Jordan Campbell scored nine
and Trevor Noack added eight for Belmont. The Bruins made 21-of-57
shots from the floor, including 12 3-pointers. Six different Belmont
players hit a 3-pointer.
Markeith Cummings led the eighth-seeded Owls (8-23) with 20 points,
andSpencer Dixon added 15. But Kennesaw State shot only 35.7
percent from the floor, including 4 of 19 from 3-point range. The Owls
made only 13 of 22 from the foul line.

KENN BEL
Points 57 72
3P Made-Attempted 4-19 (.211) 12-26 (.462)
KENN BEL
Largest Lead 4 15
Game Leaders
KENN BEL
Points M. Cummings 20 I. Clark 14
Rebounds L. Green 10 M. Hedgepeth 7
Assists M. Cummings 3 J. House 4
Steals L. Green 3 J. House 3
Blocks L. Green 4 S. Saunders 3
Game 33, vs. Mercer Bears

Mercer 72 Belmont 80
(15-18, 11-9 A-Sun) (29-4, 19-1 A-Sun)
6:30 PM ET, March 4, 2011
1 2 T
MER 30 42 72
BEL 41 39 80
Top Performers
Mercer: B. Mills 21 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl
MACON, Ga. -- Jordan Campbell scored 17 points as top-seeded
Belmont defeated Mercer 80-72 on Friday night in the semifinals of the
Atlantic Sun Conference tournament.
The Bruins (29-3) tied the conference's single-season record for wins.
College of Charleston went 29-3 in 1996-97 and Georgia State went
29-5 in 2000-01.
Belmont is the first team in the nation to reach 29 wins this season.
Kansas, Ohio State, Coastal Carolina and San Diego State all have 28.
The Bruins' bench, which leads the nation in points per game, scored
48 points. Belmont advances to its fourth A-Sun championship game.
The Bruins have won their three previous trips.
The drought for the host team winning the tournament extends to 10
years with Mercer's loss. Georgia State, in 2001, remains the last host
to win on its home floor.
Brian Mills led Mercer with 21 points.

MER BEL
Points 72 80
3P Made-Attempted 8-18 (.444) 8-24 (.333)
MER BEL
Largest Lead 2 11
Game Leaders
MER BEL
Points B. Mills 21 J. Campbell 17
Rebounds B. Mills 10 M. Hedgepeth 9
Assists L. Hall 5 J. House 2
Steals B. Mills 3 M. Hedgepeth 2
Game 34, vs. University of North Florida Ospreys

North Florida 46 Belmont 87
(15-19, 10-10 A-Sun) (30-4, 19-1 A-Sun)
6:00 PM ET, March 5, 2011
1 2 T
UNF 21 25 46
BEL 39 48 87
Top Performers
North Florida: C. McRoy 9 Pts, 2 Reb, 2 Blk
Belmont: M. Hedgepeth 23 Pts, 9 Reb, 2 Ast
Belmont crushes North Florida to win Atlantic Sun
title
MACON, Ga. -- Mick Hedgepeth scored 23 points and had nine
rebounds as top-seeded Belmont earned a berth in the NCAA
tournament with an 87-46 victory over North Florida in the Atlantic
Sun Conference tournament championship game Saturday night.
Belmont (30-4) won its fourth Atlantic Sun title in six years and set the
conference's record for most wins in a season. The Bruins, who
previously won the tournament from 2006-08, also set the conference
tournament mark for margin of victory.
"I don't really know what to say about this team. Thirty wins was just
not even thought about," Belmont coach Rick Byrd said. "For guys to
agree and play as hard as they can for you in a new system, that we
all just kind of fell into this year, is so unselfish. It takes a level of
unselfishness for guys one through 12 or 13 to all do that and do it
without complaint.
"I couldn't coach a better team."
Reserve Scott Saunders scored 15 points for Belmont, while Ian
Clark added 10 points.
Brad Haugabrook had 10 points to lead North Florida (15-19), the
tournament's sixth seed who upset third-seeded Jacksonville and
second-seeded East Tennessee State in the first two rounds.
"Defensively, they were just really denying us the ball, and we weren't
able to move it side to side like we usually do," said Parker Smith,
North Florida's leading scorer. "They just stopped any scoring that we
usually get in transition, and that put us in our half-court sets all night.
We are a good half-court team, but we like to score points in
transition, so that made it very frustrating. They just played great
team defense."
Belmont shot 36 of 71 from the floor and dominated throughout,
taking a 39-21 lead at halftime.
The conference's previous mark for margin of victory was 28, set
twice: in 1989, when Arkansas-Little Rock defeated Centenary 100-72;
and in 1999, when Samford beat Central Florida 89-61.
Belmont also improved to 6-0 as the Atlantic Sun's No. 1 seed. Since
2002, Belmont is the only team to win the tournament as the top seed
after also winning in 2008.
"In the tournament, probably when he wanted to keep some guys in,
he stuck to the system, and I think it really helps us in the long run,"
Clark said of the team's depth. "It will help us in the tournament as
well seeing as other teams probably won't sub as much as our system,
and it could help us in the last minutes of the game in a big game in
the NCAA tournament."

UNF BEL
Points 46 87
3P Made-Attempted 3-11 (.273) 9-20 (.450)
Largest Lead 0 42
Game Leaders
UNF BEL
Points B. Haugabrook 10 M. Hedgepeth 23
Rebounds D. Jeune 5 M. Hedgepeth 9
Assists B. Haugabrook 3 J. Campbell 5
Steals A. Diaz 1 K. Johnson 4
Blocks C. McRoy 2 J. House 2
Looking for a sleeper? Check
out Belmont
Mark Schlabach
MACON, Ga. -- The most dangerous NCAA tournament first-round
opponent for college basketball’s heavyweights has a 30-4 record and
has lost one game since Christmas Day.
The Belmont Bruins, who scared the you-know-what out of mighty

Duke in the first round of the 2008 NCAA tournament, is going back to
the Big Dance for the fourth time in six seasons.
The top-seeded Bruins blasted No. 6 seed North Florida 87-46 in the

Atlantic Sun tournament championship game at University Center on
Saturday night, becoming the second team to punch its ticket to the
NCAA tournament.
And the Nashville school with about 5,900 students, which counts
country singers Vince Gill and Amy Grant among its biggest fans,
might be a legitimate threat to get past the first round this time.
“They’re going to be a very tough out,” said North Florida coach
Matthew Driscoll, a former Baylor assistant.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski knows all too well how dangerous
Belmont can be. In their last NCAA appearance, the Bruins nearly
pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. No. 15-seeded
Belmont held a 70-69 lead over Duke with 2:02 to play in a first-round
game in Washington, D.C. But guard Gerald Henderson bailed out the
Blue Devils with a winning shot with 11.9 seconds in a 71-70 victory.
Thanks to Belmont coach Rick Byrd’s unique system -- 11 of his

players play at least 10 minutes per game and none of them play more
than 25 -- this Bruins squad might be even better than ’08.
You want Cinderella? Consider these facts:
 Three of the Bruins’ four losses came against SEC schools back
in November and December. In the NIT, Belmont came back from
a 17-point deficit and had a couple of chances to tie Tennessee in
the final minutes, before falling 85-76 in its Nov. 16 opener. In a
rematch against the Volunteers on Dec. 23, Tennessee’s Scotty
Hopson hit the winning layup with 5.7 seconds left in UT’s 66-65
win. The Bruins also led Vanderbilt 35-32 at the half before losing
85-76 at Memorial Gym in Nashville on Dec. 4.
 Belmont might be the deepest team in college basketball. The
Bruins have 11 players who average 10 minutes or more, and
sophomore guard Ian Clark leads the team with just under 25
minutes per game. Every player is capable of scoring, too, with
10 of its 11 regulars taking 100 shots or more this season. Going
into the A-Sun tournament, Belmont’s bench averaged 40 points
per game, the highest average in the country.
 The Bruins are one of the country’s best 3-point shooting teams.
Through March 3, they ranked No. 2 nationally with 9.5 3-
pointers per game. Six Belmont players attempted 70 3-pointers
or more this season and five are shooting 40 percent or better
from behind the 3-point line.
 The Bruins play great away from home. Since the start of the
2005-06 season, Belmont has 54 true road victories, which trails
only Vermont among Division I teams. The Bruins have 13 road
wins and 18 road/neutral victories this season, more than any
other team in the country.
 Along with 3-point shooting, Byrd has built his system around
unselfish play. The Bruins rank 16th nationally in assists and
they’re great at turning opponents over, averaging 9.7 steals,
which is third-best in the country. The Bruins also rank among
the country’s top five in turnover margin (plus-5.2).
Byrd, who has won more than 500 games in 25 seasons at Belmont,
said his system allows his players to play harder in three- or four-
minute spurts. He said he never planned to use such a system -- it
just kind of happened.
“Everybody wants to play 35 or 40 minutes,” Byrd said. “Every one of

them would like to do that, but they saw it would help our team. Last
year, I came to the realization that you can ask your guys to play
harder if you’re not playing them 35 minutes a game.”
The Bruins don’t even have five regular starters. Four players --
guards Clark and Drew Hanlen, center Mick Hedgepeth and
forward Jon House -- have started all but one game, but Trevor
Noack and Brandon Baker rotate at the other forward position.
Reserves Scott Saunders, Jordan Campbell and Kerron Johnson are

three of the team’s top five scorers and average at least 17.5 minutes
per game.
“In a pickup game, you could have a guy make the first five picks on
our team and there’s a pretty good chance the other guy could pick
just as good of a team,” Byrd said.
The Ospreys, who were attempting to become the first A-Sun team to
beat the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds in the conference tournament, were no
match for the Bruins. Belmont had 23 offensive rebounds, 21 assists
and 12 steals. They made nine 3-pointers and shot better than 50
percent from the floor.
“Even in the tournament, when he probably wanted to leave guys in,

he stuck with the system,” Clark said. “I think it’s going to help us in
the long run.”
In every hustle statistic, the Bruins out-hustled their opponent.
“Nobody plays more than 25 minutes,” Driscoll said. “You could argue
their second team is as talented as their first team.”
And you could certainly argue this Belmont team is as much of a

threat as the ’08 squad that had Duke on the ropes.
One would think the Bruins won’t have to beat a No. 2 seed in the first
round to prove it. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi had the Bruins
pegged as a 13th seed heading into Saturday’s action.
“Thirty Division I wins is a lot of wins, and I hope it earns some

respect with the committee,” Byrd said. “[If you’re a] 15 or 16 [seed],
you’re going to have a hard time winning the game and we know that.
Hopefully, we’re better than that. It will give us more of a fighting
chance and more optimism going into the game.”
Bracket Impressions: Andy Katz

Wisconsin couldn't have had a worse matchup than sneaky good
Belmont. Belmont can win a first-round game. The Badgers struggled
against Wofford and Cornell last season and nowMike Bruesewitz is
hurt. This isn't a positive draw for Wisconsin.
And now, some love for

Belmont
By Eamonn Brennan
About two hours ago, I was sitting in a cab. I was on the way to the
ESPN 1000 studios in Chicago to tape our brand spanking new ESPNU
College Basketball podcast. (Podcast plug in the first paragraph?
Check.) I was reviewing my notes for the podcast when I stumbled on
a message I'd written myself last night: "PR Belmont."
Like many of the reminders I write myself during the day, I had
forgotten this message. It was written so I didn't forget -- which, good
work, Eamonn -- to consider Belmont in my weeklyESPN.com power
rankings ballot. (Power rankings plug in the second paragraph?
Check!) Of course, I submitted my rankings without glancing at my
notebook, lost Belmont in the fray, and didn't realize it until the cold
ride to podcast heaven earlier this afternoon.
The moral of this prelude? To remind you -- and myself -- not to forget
about the Belmont Bruins. Because this team is looking awfully good.
Why is Belmont, a small school in the oft-ignored A-Sun, worth your

attention? Let's count the ways. After 19 games, Belmont is 16-3.
Those three losses have all come on the road against InsideRPI.com
top 50 opponents Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee. (Yes,
Belmont has twice played at Thomson-Boling Arena this season.) The
first loss came all the way back in the Bruins' season debut on Nov. 16
for the NIT Season Tip-Off. The second was an 85-76 loss at
Vanderbilt Dec. 4. The one-point near-miss at Tennessee Dec. 23.
But here's why Belmont's really impressive: Other than those three
losses, and a too-close-for-comfort double-overtime win over Middle
Tennessee, the Bruins have been -- how to phrase this -- straight-
up destroying fools. Their average margin of victory in 16 wins this
season is 24.7 points. Even with those three losses factored
in, Belmont has scored 1.15 points per possession this season while
allowing a mere .88. Thanks to that margin, the Bruins are have
risen all the way to No. 25 in Ken Pomeroy's latest adjusted efficiency
rankings, ahead of teams like North Carolina, Texas A&M, Georgetown,
Notre Dame, and on and on.
The Bruins don't have any wins over the RPI top 50, and now that
conference play in the ugly A-Sun has begun, they don't have any
chances to get marquee wins going forward. In other words, there's a
chance Belmont could go on destroying its foes until A-Sun
tournament time with nary a peep from the mainstream college
basketball establishment.
Let's make sure that doesn't happen. Don't forget about Belmont: Not
only is this team just plain good, but with its combination of turnover-
happy defense and long-range lethality, it's one you should remember
come March, too.

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Belmont University Men’s Basketball

Home- Curb Event Center, Nashville, Tenn.

Player OFFR DEFR REB AST TO STL BLK

9:30 PM ET, November 16, 2010

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Missed free throws contributed to Tennessee's

9:30 PM ET, November 17, 2010

Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN

Belmont: I. Clark 18 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk

Arkansas State: M. Adams 13 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Stl, 1 Blk

Belmont 93, Arkansas St. 60

Brandon Baker hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Clark added a third as

Arkansas State's 20-of-24 shooting at the free throw line couldn't

Martavius Adams led the Red Wolves (0-3) with 13 points.

FG Made-Attempted 30-57 (.526) 19-54 (.352)

3P Made-Attempted 12-25 (.480) 2-16 (.125)

FT Made-Attempted 21-33 (.636) 20-24 (.833)

Fouls (Tech/Flagrant) 21 (0/0) 24 (0/0)

Points I. Clark 18 M. Adams 13

Rebounds B. Jenkins 7 B. Peterson 8

Assists D. Hanlen 8 T. Finn 3

Steals K. Johnson 2 D. Boone 2

Blocks B. Baker 2 M. Adams 1

Game 3, vs. Marist College Red Foxes

4:30 PM ET, November 22, 2010

Team Stat Comparison

Game 4, vs. Winthrop University Eagles

Team Stat Comparison

Game 5, at Tennessee State Tigers

Team Stat Comparison

Game 6, vs. Mercer University Bears

Mercer: B. Moore 22 Pts, 10 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk

Belmont: M. Hedgepeth 19 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast

Belmont 89, Mercer 67

Hedgepeth was 8 for 12 from the field and Ian Clark added 16 points

Belmont, which scored 29 points off Mercer's 21 turnovers, held a 44-

Kerron Johnson added 10 points for the Bruins and Drew Hanlen had

Brandon Moore led Mercer (2-6) with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Brian

FG Made-Attempted 24-48 (.500) 30-62 (.484)

3P Made-Attempted 9-19 (.474) 9-25 (.360)

FT Made-Attempted 10-17 (.588) 20-24 (.833)

Fouls (Tech/Flagrant) 23 (0/0) 17 (0/0)

Points B. Moore 22 M. Hedgepeth 19

Rebounds B. Moore 10 B. Baker 9

Assists L. Hall 6 D. Hanlen 8

Steals B. Mills 2 D. Hanlen 3

Blocks B. Moore 2 B. Baker 2

Team Stat Comparison

Team Stat Comparison

8:15 PM ET, December 16, 2010

Curb Event Center, Nashville, TN

Kennesaw State: K. McConnell 11 Pts, 1 Reb, 2 Ast

Belmont: S. Saunders 19 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 4 Blk

Belmont 87, Kennesaw State 60

Belmont outrebounded the Owls 53-38, including 33-15 in the second

Brandon Baker and Drew Hanlen added 11 points apiece for Belmont

Team Stat Comparison

FG Made-Attempted 22-66 (.333) 32-68 (.471)