Middle Tennessee men’s basketball (5-4) suffered its first home loss of the year as the Belmont University Bruins (9-1) took over the Murphy Center in an 83-62 victory.
One of the Blue Raiders’ closest regional rivals, the Bruins shot over 50% from the field, while MTSU was held to just 31.3% shooting overall.
“We just didn’t shoot the ball particularly well. Obviously an understatement,” McDevitt said with a chuckle post-game.
The Blue Raiders faltered shooting from the field in the loss to one of their nearest competitors. MTSU went 8-for-38 from behind the arc and shot 21-of-67 total from the field.
“When that’s the case, you’ve got to get darn near everything right defensively,” McDevitt added. “You’ve got to get almost every rebound. And we didn’t do that. When you’re not shooting it well, you have to find other ways to generate points.”
Middle Tennessee’s offense hung tight with Belmont in the first half, as the Bruins took a 35-31 lead into the break. The Blue Raiders were still inefficient from the field with a 27.8% field goal percentage but forced eight turnovers and went 6-of-8 from the free throw line.
The momentum flipped in the second half, as MTSU couldn’t string together more than four consecutive points after the break. Belmont packed the paint on defense, forcing MTSU to rely on outside shooting.
Middle Tennessee attempted over half of its shots from beyond the arc, limiting opportunities for interior players such as center Chris Loofe and forward Torey Alston. Alston led the Blue Raiders with a game-high 14 points, eight of which came from the free throw line.
“We just overdribbled the ball a little bit,” Alston said. “There could have been times where we would have taken one dribble, got off the ball, and found an easier shot. Instead, we were dribbling too much. Once we passed it, Belmont recovered, and it became a tough shot.”
McDevitt emphasized the importance of scoring in today’s college basketball landscape.
“In 2025, you’ve also got to be able to score the ball,” he said. “There aren’t too many teams winning games 68-59 because across the country almost everybody’s playing a fast, up-tempo style of play.”
Belmont’s up-tempo offense delivered two significant scoring streaks in the second half to extend their lead over the Blue Raiders.
Between the 14:30 and 13:30 marks, the Bruins hit two three-pointers and a layup during an 8-0 run. Middle Tennessee’s Kamari Lands responded with a jumper to bring MTSU within nine points with 11:35 remaining.
However, Belmont answered with a 12-0 run from the 11:18 mark until MTSU’s Sean Smith hit a mid-range shot with 7:56 left to play.
Guards Nic McClain and Tyler Lundblade led Belmont with 20 and 15 points respectively, combining for six made three-pointers.
“Lundblade made the toughest shot I thought anybody took on the night,” McDevitt said. “He comes off a pin-down that we defended quite well, and he just bangs it in. When that happens, it just shows how good you have to be at the other stuff.”
As out-of-conference play winds down, MTSU has benefited from a strong schedule featuring top-70 NET-ranked teams such as Belmont, McNeese State, George Washington University, and No. 1 Michigan.
“You find out a lot about yourself,” McDevitt noted. “You’re talking about 360 some teams, and you’re playing one of the hardest non-conference schedules of anybody.”
MTSU will have the next ten days off before hosting Conference USA rival Kennesaw State for the Blue Raiders’ first league matchup of the season on December 17 at the Murphy Center.
To contact the Sports editor, email [email protected].
https://mtsusidelines.com/2025/12/07/mtsu-mens-basketball-falls-by-23-for-first-home-loss-of-the-season/
