Wednesday, November 10, 2010

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont men's basketball defeated Northern State Tuesday evening, 79-64, in the inaugural Don Meyer Classic.

The exhibition contest, which was broadcast nationally on ESPNU, honored former Northern State and Lipscomb head coach Don Meyer, who retired following the 2009-10 season with an all-time college basketball standard of 923 career victories. Meyer, whose courageous battle through a near-death car accident and later cancer, inspired longtime friend and ESPN senior baseball writer to pen a just-released book entitled, How Lucky You Can Be.

Belmont was also delighted to have Tennessee Titan kick return ace Marc Mariani on hand to toss a ceremonial jump ball prior to the game.

After Belmont scored the first five points of the game, Northern State – who provided stern opposition to Oklahoma and Creighton in exhibition games – went on a 13-4 run to seize a 13-9 lead seven minutes in.

But behind six points apiece from junior Scott Saunders (New Orleans, La.) and sophomore Ian Clark (Memphis, Tenn.), the Bruins reclaimed a 24-13 edge.

Two free throws from freshman Blake Jenkins (Knoxville, Tenn.) stretched the lead to 16, 36-20, before Belmont took a 41-26 advantage to the locker room at halftime.

During halftime, both teams looked on as Coach Meyer was informed that he would be the next member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.