MTSU gets hammered by Belmont on The Murfreesboro Post

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MTSU gets hammered by Belmont

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By: By JOSH EZZELL - Nov. 26, 2007 - 9:28 p.m.

NASHVILLE — Belmont outshot, outrebounded and outhustled MTSU Monday night at Curb Event Center.

To summarize the game, Belmont whipped MTSU. Sparked by 50 percent shooting and a 40-24 rebounding advantage — MTSU grabbed only eight offensive boards with none coming in the first half — the Bruins won 85-62.

This is MTSU’s first loss to Belmont since 2001, and it’s only the second time the Blue Raiders have suffered a double-digit loss to the Bruins. The last time was Dec. 10, 1956, when Belmont triumphed 66-56.

“Give Belmont credit,” said MTSU head coach Kermit Davis, whose squad dropped to 2-4. “They were much more physical, much more alert. They physically whipped us. They beat us in every facet of basketball.”

This is the third time an opponent has shot at least 50 percent from the field against MTSU. In those contests the Blue Raiders are 0-3. San Jose State hit 62 percent of its shots. Appalachian State hit 68 percent of its shots, while Tennessee was 65 percent from the field and scored 109 points. It marked the first time since 2000 an opponent hit the century mark against MTSU.

“They’re a real good team,” said MTSU junior guard Kevin Kanaskie, who scored 14 points and added four assists. “We didn’t guard their dribble penetration.”

MTSU’s lost two of its last three games by double digits. The Volunteers handed MTSU a 69-point defeat in Knoxville Nov. 20.

“I was proud of how energized our team was tonight,” said Belmont head coach Rick Byrd, whose bench outscored MTSU’s 42-11. “I was really proud at halftime that we didn’t give up an offensive rebound.”

It went downhill in a hurry for MTSU, which fell behind 24-12 with 9 minutes, 34 seconds remaining in the first half. The Bruins (5-2) went 7-of-11 to start the game, hitting three of their first five 3-pointers.

“We can’t sustain anything,” Davis said. “We have to slow the game down and limit their number of possessions.”

MTSU, conversely, was 4-of-13 to start the game and missed its first four 3-pointers en route to a 51-29 halftime deficit.

“They got lots of open looks,” said MTSU junior center Theryn Hudson, who scored a career-high 15 points. “We weren’t getting back on defense.

“We need to start stepping up (on the boards),” said Hudson, who added seven rebounds. “They got too many second-chance points. We’ve got to start getting offensive boards.”

The Blue Raiders, who shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, hit 36 percent of their shots after halftime. The Bruins hit 58 percent of their shots in the first half, making it impossible for MTSU to do anything.

MTSU junior guard Demetrius Green added 12 points and two rebounds.

Junior guard Matthew Dotson led Belmont with 18 points and six rebounds, while junior guard/forward Shane Dansby added 14 points and six rebounds.

MTSU visits Houston 7 p.m. Saturday.

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By: Bluesman on 11/27/07
Congrats to Belmont, they seem to be headed in the right direction since the moved up to the "A" division!

MTSU BB on the other hand has gone down, down!

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