Belmont’s men’s basketball team had every reason to believe it could pull off an upset Wednesday in a Missouri Valley Conference showdown at Drake.
The Bruins, after all, had spanked the Bulldogs when the teams met in Nashville earlier this season, posting a 22-point victory.
kAmx? 255:E:@?[ q6=>@?E 925 H@? 7@FC DEC2:89E 82>6D 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 4@?E6DE[ 362E:?8 E9@D6 @AA@?6?ED 3J 2? 2G6C286 >2C8:? @7 `b A@:?ED] vF2C5 y2’z@3: v:==6DA:6 925 D6CG65 2D 2 DA2C< A=F8 D:?46 C6EFC?:?8 7C@> 2 HC:DE :?;FCJ 62C=J :? u63CF2CJ[ 2G6C28:?8 a_ A@:?ED A6C 82>6 :? 9:D 7:CDE 7:G6 4@?E6DED 324<]k^Am
kAmqFE 2== E92E qCF:?D >@>6?EF> H2D?’E 6?@F89 E@ D?2A E96 ?2E:@?’D =@?86DE 24E:G6 }rpp s:G:D:@? x 9@>6 H:? DEC62<[ 2D sC2<6 H@? :ED a_kDFAmE9k^DFAm DEC2:89E 82>6 2E z?2AA r6?E6C 3J 5@H?:?8 q6=>@?E gc\eh]k^Am
kAm“%96J’G6 8@E E96 =@?86DE 9@>6 H:??:?8 DEC62< :? E96 4@F?ECJ 7@C 2 C62D@?[” q6=>@?E 4@249 r2D6J p=6I2?56C D2:5 @? 9:D A@DE\82>6 C25:@ D9@H] “%96J’C6 ]]] 2 C62==J 8@@5 E62> ,6G6? :7 J@F. E2<6 E96 4C@H5 @FE @7 :E] %96J’C6 2 92C5 E62> E@ 362E 2?5 @FC >2C8:? :D D>2==]k^Am
kAm“%@ 362E 2 E62> =:<6 E9:D @? E96 C@25[ J@F’G6 8@E E@ 92G6 E92E <:?5 @7 677@CE[ H9:49 x E9@F89E H6 925] x ?6G6C BF6DE:@?65 9@H E@F89 H6 H6C6 @C 9@H >F49 H6 H2?E65 E@ H:? E96 82>6] xE H2D ;FDE D:>A=J E96J H@? H2J E@@ >2J @?6\@?\@?6 32EE=6D — H96? E96J 925 E96 32== 6DA64:2==J] %96J 925 2 ,G6CJ. 8@@5 D9@@E:?8 ?:89E]”k^Am
kAmsC2<6 Wab\d[ ``\bX C6>2:?65 :? 2 E:6 H:E9 x?5:2?2 $E2E6 7@C 7:CDE A=246 :? E96 |'r[ H9:=6 q6=>@?E W`e\`a[ h\gX 5C@AA65 :?E@ 2 7:7E9\A=246 E:6 :? E96 4@?76C6?46 H:E9 E9C66 82>6D =67E :? E96 C68F=2C D62D@?]k^Am
kAm%96 qCF:?D[ H9@ 7246 |:DD@FC: $E2E6[ |FCC2J $E2E6 2?5 tG2?DG:==6 :? E96:C 7:?2= E9C66 82>6D[ 92G6 H@C< E@ 5@ :? @C56C E@ 8C23 @?6 @7 E96 7@FC 7:CDE\C@F?5 3J6D :? E96 4@?76C6?46 E@FC?2>6?E 368:??:?8 |2C49 a] q6=>@?E :D @?6 82>6 369:?5 7@FCE9\A=246 $@FE96C? x==:?@:D 2?5 E:65 H:E9 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 }@CE96C? x@H2]k^Am
kAm“}@3@5J’D 8@:?8 E@ H:A6 @77 2 =@DD 2D :7 :E 5@6D?’E >2EE6C[” p=6I2?56C D2:5] “%92E’D ?@E E96 >6DD286 2E 2==] qFE x E@=5 ,E96 A=2J6CD. H92E x 2=C625J E@=5 J@F] u@C E96 >@DE A2CE[ 2D 72C 2D E96 ,7:?2=. >2C8:?[ H6 ;FDE 5:5?’E A=2J H6== 6?@F89 E@ 362E 2 8@@5 E62> @? E96 C@25] qFE H6’G6 E2=<65 2 =@E 2?5 H6’C6 C625J E@ 86E =@4<65 :? E@>@CC@H] ~FC 8FJD 2C6 C62==J 6I4:E65 23@FE E96 ?6IE E9C66 82>6D E@ 7:?:D9 @77 E96 D62D@?]”k^Am
kAmv:==6DA:6 =65 E96 qCF:?D H:E9 ab A@:?ED[ H9:=6 |2=:< s:2[ z6:D92H? s2G:5D@? 2?5 xD2:29 (2=<6C 6249 925 `a]k^Am
kAmqFE q6=>@?E 5:5?’E 92G6 E96 7:C6A@H6C — @C E96 5676?D:G6 23:=:EJ — E@ DE2J 4=@D6 E@ E96 qF==5@8D[ H9@ >256 da A6C46?E @7 E96:C D9@ED 7C@> E96 7:6=5 2?5 9:E `_\@7\a` E9C66\A@:?E 2EE6>AED]k^Am
kAm%96 qCF:?D[ H9@ EC2:=65 ce\be 2E 92=7E:>6[ D?F4< E@ H:E9:? da\cf 62C=J :? E96 D64@?5 92=7] p?5 q6=>@?E H2D DE:== :? E96 82>6[ EC2:=:?8 ef\de[ H:E9 ;FDE @G6C ?:?6 >:?FE6D =67E] qFE 2 E9C66\A@:?E D9@E 3J sC2<6’D %F4<6C s6'C:6D WE62>\9:89 a` A@:?EDX D6CG65 2D E96 52886C[ 2D q6=>@?E 8@E ?@ 4=@D6C E92? `c A@:?ED 7@C E96 C6DE @7 E96 4@?E6DE]k^Am
kAmq6=>@?E D9@E ;FDE c` A6C46?E 7C@> E96 7:6=5 @G6C2== 2?5 >256 D6G6?\@7\ah E9C66\A@:?E6CD]k^Am
kAm“,sC2<6. 925 2 C62==J 8@@5 D9@@E:?8 ?:89E[” p=6I2?56C D2:5] “(6 H6C6 D6G6? 7@C ah] (6 4@F=5?’E 86E E96 5:DCFAE:@? 5676?D:G6=J E92E H6 925 E96 7:CDE E:>6] %96J A=2J65 H:E9 DF49 8C62E C9JE9> @776?D:G6=J 2== ?:89E =@?8[ @?=J D6G6? EFC?@G6CD] %92E’D H9@ E96J 2C6[ D@ H6’== >@G6 @?]”k^Am
