Tag: Belmont Bruins

Duke women’s basketball star Toby Fournier named ACC Rookie of the Week

After a 25-point explosion against Belmont on Thursday, Duke women’s basketball freshman Toby Fournier was named the ACC Rookie of the Week.

Duke women’s basketball freshman [autotag]Toby Fournier[/autotag] earned the ACC Rookie of the Week title on Monday after her 25-point game against Belmont.

The Blue Devils beat the Bruins 79-47 thanks to the best game of the five-star forward’s debut season thus far. The Canadian made 10 of her 15 shots from the floor, including her first career 3-pointer, and added on six rebounds and three blocks in just 25 minutes.

Through six games in her first season with the program, Fournier has scored at least 10 points five different times. She’s averaged 14.5 points per game, the most of any Blue Devil, as well as 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals, and she reaches the free-throw line 4.8 times per game.

All of that production has come while averaging just 19.3 minutes on the court.

Fournier becomes the first Duke women’s basketball player to win one of the conference’s weekly awards, but men’s basketball stars [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag] have swept the three Rookie of the Week awards on their side.

Toby Fournier scores 25 points as Duke women’s basketball beats Belmont

The Duke women’s basketball team won its third straight game on Thursday night as five-star freshman Toby Fournier scored 25 points.

The Duke women’s basketball team won its third straight game on Thursday night as five-star freshman Toby Fournier wreaked havoc against Belmont with 25 points.

The Blue Devils moved back up to No. 14 in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll after its Sunday win over South Dakota State, and Duke wasted no time extending that momentum in front of the home crowd at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

After the Bruins took an early 9-5 lead with four of the game’s first six baskets, Kara Lawson’s squad erupted for the final 12 points of the opening quarter. Fournier, a top-10 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings, powered that surge with six points in the final five minutes.

The 6-foot-2 forward dominated the final minutes of the second quarter in similar fashion. After not adding to her total over the first six minutes of the frame, she scored twice in a 25-second span to help Duke double the Bruins.

Two free throws and another layup later, Fournier returned to the locker room with 16 points (already a career-high) in a 40-17 game. The Duke defense held Belmont under 10 points in both early quarters, and the Blue Devils could cruise to a 79-47 victory over the remaining 20 minutes.

Fournier put an exclamation point on her night in the final minute of the third quarter when she grabbed a pass from guard Vanessa de Jesus and turned around to see herself entirely alone at the top of the key. The freshman put up a 3-point shot, only the second deep attempt of her career, and found the net for her first collegiate triple.

Fournier made 10 of her 15 shots from the floor for the night, pulling down six rebounds and blocking three shots. She’s now averaging 14.5 points, the most of any Blue Devil, with 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals to start her debut season.

“Our team has a great deal of trust in one another and a great deal of excitement for the success of each other,” Lawson said after the game. “That’s pivotal on a team. It’s someone else’s night every night. They play really well together and try to make the right plays.”

Ashlon Jackson, who entered Thursday’s game as the team’s leading scorer, added 14 points herself with a pair of 3-pointers, and reigning ACC Sixth Person of the Year Oluchi Okananwa provided 15 points off the bench thanks to a six-for-seven night shooting.

The Blue Devils get the weekend to themselves before a Monday afternoon game against Kansas State, the first part of the Ball Dawgs Classic out in Nevada.

Duke reportedly in contact with Belmont transfer Cade Tyson

Duke has reportedly contacted former Belmont Bruin Cade Tyson, a sophomore who scored 16.2 points per game and shot 46% from three last season, in the transfer portal.

With a handful of Blue Devils expected to leave for either new teams or the NBA (and center Christian Reeves already gone), Duke head coach Jon Scheyer will need to dip into the transfer portal. According to some reports, he’s already on the trail.

According to basketball coach Nick Jones, the Blue Devils have been in contact with Belmont transfer Cade Tyson.

Tyson, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, averaged 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Bruins last season. He was remarkably efficient, shooting 49.3% from the floor and 46.5% from beyond the arc, and he’s finished above 40% from 3-point range in both of his collegiate seasons.

Tyson is 74th on EvanMiya’s transfer portal player rankings, but he’s 15th among transfers in the site’s Offensive Bayesian Performance Rating metric. EvanMiya grades him as a four-star transfer prospect.

Tyson has apparently also been approached by Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee, so Scheyer will have some competition if he wants him in Durham.

Penn State Lady Lions advance in WBIT with win over Belmont

The Penn State Lady Lions are moving on to the quarterfinals of the WBIT after a win on Monday night.

The women’s college basketball season will continue with one final home game for the Penn State Lady Lions. Penn State prevailed over Belmont by a score of 74-66 on Monday evening in the Bryce Jordan Center.

Penn State trailed Belmont by three points at halftime but turned in a strong third quarter to take the lead and held off Belmont in the fourth quarter for the win. [autotag]Makenna Marissa[/autotag] led the Lady Lions with 18 points and [autotag]Ashley Owusu[/autotag] added 16 points. [autotag]Leilani Kapinus[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayla Oden[/autotag] each scored in double figures as well with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Kapinus led the team with 7 rebounds.

Penn State will now host Mississippi State in the quarterfinal round of the WBIT on Thursday evening. A victory over the SEC program would send Penn State to Indianapolis for the semifinal of the postseason tournament. The winner of the Penn State-Mississippi State game will meet the winner of Thursday night’s matchup between Villanova and Saint Joseph’s on Monday, April 1.

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Ohio State women’s basketball downs Belmont

Back in the win column! #GoBucks

The Ohio State women’s basketball team bounced back to get back in the win column after dropping a game against No. 2 UCLA earlier in the week by taking its aggressions out on Belmont Friday, 84-55.

It took the Buckeyes a little while to get going, but once they did, they ran away with the game. The two teams played a nip and tuck game until about three three minutes left in the first half when OSU finished on an 11-2 run to head into the locker room up 38-28.

The second half began like the first half ended with Ohio State still controlling the game and continuing to extend the lead out by creating a slew of turnovers. The Bruins finished with a whopping 23 turnovers that led to 21 points for OSU.

Ohio State also shot the ball much better than Belmont, 52.5% to 36.5% and had nine more shot attempts. A bunch of those shots were taken, and made, by guard Jacy Sheldon, who scored over 30 points for the second-straight game, this time by pouring in 31 on 12-of-18 shooting, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. She also had two rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Helping with the scoring in double figures were Celeste Taylor and Ricki Harris who scored 15 and 10 points respectively.

With the win, Ohio State improves its record to 10-2 and will have a bit of a break before traveling to Michigan on Saturday, December 30.

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Potential first-rounder Ben Sheppard showing competitive spirit in workouts

Sheppard averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals last season as a senior at Belmont.

Former Belmont guard Ben Sheppard put himself on the radar with a strong showing at the NBA draft combine last month and is looking to keep that momentum going through his remaining workouts.

Sheppard emerged as one of the top standouts at the combine with a 25-point performance in his second scrimmage game. He recorded the fastest shuttle run (2.94 seconds) and ranked seventh in the three-quarter sprint (3.17 seconds).

He has worked out with at least seven teams in the pre-draft process and is considered a potential first-round pick. He is looking to showcase his overall ability and prove that he belongs among his peers.

“I feel like I’ve flown under the radar for most of my life in basketball, honestly,” Sheppard said recently after working out with the Indiana Pacers. “I always have a chip on my shoulder. I’m a hard worker. I’m super competitive, and I try to let that show in my workouts. It is what I’m here for. I believe that I can play with the best of them so I’m just trying to be myself, not do anything out of the ordinary and just play my game.”

Sheppard, who was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team, averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals on 41.5% shooting from 3-point range. He ranked third in the conference in points (603) and 16th in the country in 3-point percentage.

The 6-foot-6 Sheppard can do a little bit of everything and dazzled in the open court. He can make every pass and put on a bit of show at the combine with vision and pinpoint accuracy. He also emerged as a tremendous shooter who can knock it down from virtually everywhere.

With the draft taking place in less than two weeks, Sheppard will soon know where he’ll begin his professional career. It took quite a bit of work to reach this point but the journey is only just beginning for Sheppard.

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Rumor: Ben Sheppard garnering first-round interest after combine showing

Sheppard is reportedly beginning to garner first-round interest from teams after a strong showing at the combine.

Belmont senior Ben Sheppard is reportedly beginning to garner first-round interest from teams after a strong showing at the NBA draft combine, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.

Sheppard was among the prospects that competed in the 5-on-5 scrimmages last week in Chicago, Illinois. He produced 10 points and three rebounds in his first game and followed with a 25-point outburst in his second appearance on Thursday.

He emerged as one of the top performers in some other drills.

Sheppard recorded the fastest shuttle run (2.94 seconds) and ranked seventh in the three-quarter sprint (3.17 seconds). The outing in front of teams helped catapult his name up draft boards and the 21-year-old is now considered a potential first-rounder.

The full excerpt from the report:

Nobody seems to be rising more than Belmont’s Ben Sheppard. We’re hearing he’s generating first-round interest after his 25-point game on Thursday, erasing some skepticism about his production in a relatively weaker Missouri Valley Conference.

Sheppard, who was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team, averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals on 41.5% shooting from 3-point range. He ranked third in the conference in points (603) and 16th in the country in 3-point percentage.

The 6-foot-6 guard can do a little bit of everything and dazzled in the open court. He can make every pass and put on a bit of show at the combine with vision and pinpoint accuracy. He also emerged as a tremendous shooter who can knock it down from virtually everywhere.

Several top prospects skipped certain testing and scrimmages, but Sheppard emerged as one of the top standouts from the festivities and helped himself in the process.

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Todd Golden lands first transfer commitment as Florida’s head coach

Todd Golden got his guy. Welcome to the Swamp, Will Richard!

Former Belmont guard [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Florida Gators on Saturday.

Richard becomes the first player to commit to new head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] after picking the Gators over Clemson, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. As a freshman, Richard started 30 of 33 games averaging 12.1 points and 6 rebounds per game. His best scoring performance (22 points) came in an NIT loss to Vanderbilt.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 195-pounder entered the portal on March 22 and Golden immediately got to work. The two spoke daily until Richard finally made it to campus on April 7, and the decision came shortly after that trip.

Richard’s commitment comes on the heels of [autotag]Tyree Appleby[/autotag]’s decision to transfer from UF for his final year of eligibility. [autotag]Tuongthach Gatkek[/autotag] also hit the portal and [autotag]Anthony Duruji[/autotag] declared for the NBA draft. Golden is still working on getting [autotag]Colin Castelton[/autotag] to return, but Florida needs help from the transfer portal to turn things around.

Landing Richards is a good start. He’s one of the more productive names in the portal and figures to be the primary ball-handler for the Gators next season. Pairing him with [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] would give Golden a talented duo in the backcourt to work with.

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Oregon Ducks vs. Belmont Bruins: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for NCAA first round matchup

It’s tournament time, and the Oregon Ducks get things started on Saturday against Belmont. Here’s how to watch the matchup.

Kelly Graves has once again led his Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team into the NCAA tournament and this time, they’ll be going to a historical site.

The No. 5 Ducks will travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to play No. 12 seed Belmont in the first round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Should Oregon win, it will play either No. 4 seed and host Tennessee or No. 13 seed Buffalo.

Both games will be played on Pat Summitt Court, a building that saw countless SEC titles and numerous national championships when the legendary coach led the Lady Vols.

Oregon (22-11) will be appearing in its fifth straight NCAA tournament. Belmont is also a regular of March Madness, making its sixth appearance in seven seasons. The Bruins (22-7) are an automatic qualifier after defeating Tennessee Tech for the Ohio Valley Conference championship.

Badger moments: Wisconsin stakes its claim vs Belmont in 2011

Wisconsin regroups

The ugly game.

The unmentionable game.

The horror show game.

Whatever you want to call it, it was unwatchable and hard to talk about. It was a game every Wisconsin fan and player and coach wanted to forget… but it was there, and it was real.

Penn State 36, Wisconsin 33.

The ugliest college basketball game many of us ever watched — college basketball’s equivalent of the 2008 Sun Bowl game in which Oregon State defeated Pittsburgh, 3-0 — scarred our retinas and made us want to soak in a hot tub for an hour to get rid of the stench.

Wisconsin had to carry the memory of that game — in which the Badgers went 2 of 21 on 3-pointers — into the 2011 NCAA Tournament. UW also knew as it entered the 2011 NCAA Tournament that it had failed to make the Sweet 16 its previous two trips, in 2009 and 2010. There was a job to do, and the Badgers had to reset their minds if they wanted to get it done.

Very clearly, they put that nightmarish shooting performance behind them. They turned the page from Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament. That was more than enough for them in a convincing 72-58 win over the Belmont Bruins in Tucson.

Belmont was then — and still is — a sexy underdog pick at the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins run great offensive sets and have a Princeton-like vibe about them. Yet, the Bruins have never been able to pull off their big March upset. Wisconsin was able to turn them back nine years ago.

The foremost story from this win was Wisconsin’s 12-of-22 shooting line on threes. The Badgers went from the Penn State nightmare to a dream game against Belmont. The kicker: Belmont coach Rick Byrd didn’t even think his team flunked on defense.

“I thought we defended in this game about as good as we can defend,” Byrd said. “And I’d like to see how many of those were in the last six seconds of the shot clock and how many were contested.”

Jordan Taylor hit 5 of 9 threes, and five other Badgers hit at least one 3-point shot, to give UW 36 points from long distance. Taylor finished with 21 points while Jon Leuer scored 22. Wisconsin finished 20 of 40, a clean 50 percent, from the field, and hit 20 of 25 free throws in a superb offensive performance. Few teams ever did beat Bo Ryan when his players were shooting at a high percentage. Belmont found this out the hard way in the Big Dance against the Badgers.