Belmont Bruins vs Eastern Illinois Panthers
Belmont rolls into OVC semis with 97-64 victory over EIU
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Craig Bradshaw made five 3-pointers on his way to 23 points and third-seeded Belmont overwhelmed sixth-seeded Eastern Illinois 97-64 in the quarterfinals of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament Thursday night.
Belmont will take on No. 2 seed Eastern Kentucky on Friday night.
Evan Bradds and Nick Smith, the latter with four 3-pointers, scored 14 points each for Belmont (20-10) with Amanze Egekeze adding 12 and Mack Mercer 10. Reece Chamberlain added nine points, eight rebounds and eight assists. The Bruins shot 61 percent and made 16 of 27 from beyond the arc (59.3 percent). Belmont had a 38-23 advantage on the boards.
Reggie Smith scored 17 points, Trae Anderson 13 and Cornell Johnston 11 for the Panthers (17-14).
The Bruins took off to a 15-0 lead in the first 3:32 of the game and had a 47-24 halftime lead. An 11-0 run late in the game had Belmont up by 39 points.
Game Information
Nashville, TN
Referee:Stephen Divine
Referee:John St. Clair
Referee:Bret Smith
2025-26 Standings
| Ohio Valley ConferenceOhio Valley Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee State | 15-5 | - | 23-10 |
| Morehead State | 15-5 | - | 20-13 |
| Southeast Missouri State | 14-6 | 1 | 20-13 |
| UT Martin | 13-7 | 2 | 22-11 |
| SIU Edwardsville | 12-8 | 3 | 19-13 |
| Lindenwood | 11-9 | 4 | 18-15 |
| Little Rock | 9-11 | 6 | 12-20 |
| Tennessee Tech | 8-12 | 7 | 13-18 |
| Eastern Illinois | 8-12 | 7 | 13-20 |
| Southern Indiana | 4-16 | 11 | 7-23 |
| Western Illinois | 1-19 | 14 | 5-26 |
| Missouri Valley ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 16-4 | - | 26-6 |
| Bradley | 13-7 | 3 | 21-13 |
| Illinois State | 12-8 | 4 | 23-13 |
| Murray State | 12-8 | 4 | 20-13 |
| UIC | 12-8 | 4 | 19-16 |
| Northern Iowa | 11-9 | 5 | 23-13 |
| Valparaiso | 11-9 | 5 | 18-15 |
| Southern Illinois | 10-10 | 6 | 16-16 |
| Drake | 6-14 | 10 | 14-20 |
| Indiana State | 4-16 | 12 | 11-21 |
| Evansville | 3-17 | 13 | 7-25 |
Men's College Basketball News

Get to know NBA draft prospect Darryn Peterson
6h

Kendrick Perkins agrees to role as Jackson State GM
10h

Green Bay's Gottlieb gets extension after improved 2nd season
12h

