Missouri Valley Basketball: Belmont the only Friday MTE winner

Belmont was the only winner of four Missouri Valley Conference teams competing in Friday’s multi-team event action. The Bruins defeated Gardner-Webb improving their Cancun Challenge record to 2 and 1. 

Indiana State, Valparaiso and Northern Iowa were on the losing end of MTE challenges. The Valley’s record in these events is now 13 and 13. 

Belmont’s Win

The Bruins (6-2) edged Gardner-Webb 83-74 in a ‘campus game’ associated with the Cancun Challenge. Casey Alexander’s team trailed (44-37) at the half, but on the strength of 42 ‘bench points’, the Bruins wore down the Runnin’ Bulldogs. 

Tyler Lundblade (15 points) and Drew Sharnowski (11) came off the bench to be two of Belmont’s four, double-digit scorers. Carter Whitt (11) and Isaiah Walker (10) were the others. 

While Belmont struggled from long distance (24 percent), they produced 13 steals and six blocked shots in route to the come-from-behind victory. Belmont has won five of its last six games and Gardner-Webb fell to 4-4.

The Bruins are off until their first conference game Wednesday night against Illinois State. 

Starting in the Bahamas

Indiana State began its MTE action with a narrow loss to Arkansas State. The Red Wolves raised their record to 5-1, while the Sycamores fell to 3-4. Indiana State trailed by eleven points at the half, but outscored the Red Wolves 46-40 in the second stanza to make it a tight contest.

Jaden Daughtry was spectacular coming off Matthew Graves’ bench. The 6’7 sophomore made ten of his eleven shots, scoring 21 points. Aaron Gray scored 13 points and K’mani Doughty added 13. Four Red Wolves reached the double-figure mark in scoring. 

Indiana State continues play in the Baha Mar Hoops – Nassau Championship with a 1:00 p.m. Saturday game against Iona. They finish their Bahamas-based MTE with a Sunday contest against Tarleton State. 

Valpo Loses on the Road

Valparaiso’s final game of the DePaul MTE Classic was a game against the host Blue Demons. While Valpo had defeated Norther Illinois and Eastern Illinois in ‘on campus’ games, the final of the tournament turned into a road game and the Beacons lost at DePaul by a final score of 89-70.

The Beacons faced four, former Missouri Valley Conference players, now wearing the DePaul uniform. Troy D’Amico (Southern Illinois) scored eleven points and Isaiah Rivera (Illinois Chicago) added 19. N.J. Benson (Missouri State) scored nine points and point guard Conor Enright (Drake) scored six points and handed out eight assists. 

DePaul is 7-0 and have yet to leave their home floor. 

Cooper Schwieger led the Beacons with 19 points and eight rebounds. Freshman All Wright and junior Jefferson De La Crus Monegro each scored ten points. Senior point guard Darius DeAveiro scored 13 and handed out five assists. 

Valpo (4-3) is off until Thursday’s conference opener against the undefeated Drake Bulldogs. 

UNI Can’t Hold On

Northern Iowa led the Big East’s St. Bonaventure by nine points with 6:28 left in the first half, but the Bonnies went on a 21-4 late first half run to take a six-point lead into intermission. 

St. Bonaventure built on the lead and won 68-56. The Panthers fell to 3-4 and the Bonnies are 7-1. SBU forced 17 UNI turnovers and that was too much to overcome. 

UNI struggled from beyond the arc, making just 32 percent from long distance and only Tytan Anderson (14) and Kyle Pock (11) reached double figures in scoring. 

The third-place game loss at the NIT Season Tip-Off (Lake Buena Vista, Florida) was UNI’s four in its last five games. Ben Jacobson’s team opens the Valley season with a Wednesday game at Illinois Chicago. 

The Valley’s only remaining MTE games are Indiana State's Saturday tilt with Iona and the Sycamore’s Sunday date with Tarleton State.