Nashville Area Basketball Shines in Thursday Night Roundup: Vanderbilt, Belmont Lead the Way

Photo / Lipscomb Athletics / Maris Zurliene career best night!

Thursday night proved to be a showcase of basketball excellence across Nashville's collegiate landscape, with five local universities competing in games that highlighted impressive performances, program records, and tournament implications. From senior night celebrations to historic three-point barrages, the Nashville area basketball community delivered compelling storylines that will shape the remainder of the season.

Vanderbilt Caps Senior Night with Dominant Victory

No. 25 Vanderbilt men's basketball provided the perfect sendoff for its senior class, defeating Georgia 88-80 in the final regular-season game at Memorial Gymnasium. The Commodores (22-6, 9-6 SEC) controlled the contest from start to finish, never trailing against the Bulldogs (19-9, 7-8 SEC), though Georgia mounted a spirited second-half comeback that kept the outcome uncertain until the final moments.

The Dores came out firing, building a commanding 20-point lead midway through the first half before allowing Georgia to trim the deficit to seven by halftime. The second half featured a back-and-forth battle, with Georgia even tying the game with just under 10 minutes remaining. However, Vanderbilt's depth and free-throw shooting proved decisive down the stretch. The Commodores shot an impressive 21-for-24 from the charity stripe, including a perfect 10 straight to close out the game.

Six Commodores scored in double figures, showcasing the balanced attack that has made Vanderbilt a tournament contender. Devin McGlockton notched his fourth double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds in his final home game, while Tyler Tanner matched that scoring total with six rebounds and five assists. Duke Miles, returning from injury, contributed 15 points, and AK Okereke added 13 with six rebounds and assists. Role players Tyler Nickel and Jalen Washington each chipped in 10 points.

Defensively, Vanderbilt dominated the paint with 44 points compared to Georgia's 26, while recording five steals and four blocks. Jeremiah Wilkinson led the Bulldogs with a game-high 28 points, including five three-pointers, but the supporting cast couldn't provide enough support. The Commodores will look to build on this momentum as they head to Lexington for a Saturday matchup against Kentucky.

Belmont Sets Program Record with Historic Three-Point Barrage

In one of the most dominant performances of the season, Belmont University men's basketball absolutely dismantled Evansville 98-64 at the Curb Event Center, setting a program record with 21 three-pointers in the process. The Bruins (26-4, 16-3 MVC) eclipsed their previous record of 20 three-pointers set in 2018 against Tennessee State, with Eoin Dillon delivering the historic shot midway through the second half.

The victory capped off Belmont's impressive regular season following their outright Missouri Valley Conference championship clinched on February 21. The Bruins controlled the game wire-to-wire, leading 44-29 at halftime after shooting an efficient 56 percent from the field and 10-for-18 from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes.

Tyler Lundblade led four Bruins in double figures with 15 points while breaking his own NCAA Division I era single-season three-point record. The senior now has 107 three-pointers on the season. Sam Orme contributed 14 points, while Eoin Dillon and Jack Smiley added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Nine Belmont players scored six or more points, and eight different Bruins made three-pointers.

The offensive explosion was particularly impressive given Belmont's defensive intensity. The Bruins forced eight first-half turnovers and maintained their purpose throughout, turning defensive stops into high-percentage scoring opportunities. Belmont's bench proved especially effective, outscoring Evansville's reserves 52-8. The Bruins shot 57 percent from the field overall, including 21-for-37 from three-point distance, while also dominating the glass 34-24. Belmont recorded 24 assists on 35 made field goals, exemplifying the ball movement and efficiency that has made them national contenders.

Lipscomb's Mixed Results in ASUN Action

Lipscomb University's basketball programs experienced contrasting results Wednesday evening. The men's team suffered a disappointing 84-77 road loss to West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia, unable to overcome a poor shooting performance that saw them make just 20.8 percent of their three-point attempts (5-for-24). Despite out-rebounding the Wolves 39-32, the Bisons (18-12, 11-6 ASUN) couldn't generate enough offensive firepower, with Ross Candelino and Grant Asman leading the way with 14 points each.

The Bisons shot just 11.1 percent from three in the first half but improved to 46.9 percent overall from the field. West Georgia, however, shot 57.4 percent and proved too efficient down the stretch, particularly in the final 6:45 when they outscored Lipscomb 24-11. Cole Middleton added 11 points, as did both Ethan Duncan and Titas Sargiunas, but the lack of three-point shooting proved costly.

The women's team, however, delivered a dominant performance, cruising to an 87-42 victory over Bellarmine at Allen Arena. The Lady Bisons (10-18, 7-10 ASUN) connected on 17 three-pointers, marking the fourth-most in program history and the second-most in an ASUN game. McKayla Miller led all scorers with 21 points on efficient 8-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-8 from downtown, while also grabbing six rebounds. Senior Molly Heard added 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting with six rebounds, extending her streak of games with at least one steal to 26 consecutive contests.

Maris Zurliene set a career-best with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Taylor Bowen contributed nine points, six rebounds, and six assists. Lipscomb shot 67 percent from the field in the second half and outscored Bellarmine 51-21 after halftime, with the Knights managing just 8-of-33 shooting in the final 20 minutes.

Austin Peay and Trevecca Navigate Crucial Conference Contests

Austin Peay State University's men's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 93-88 Atlantic Sun Conference loss at home to Central Arkansas, dropping their only home game of the season. The Governors (21-7, 15-2 ASUN) led by as many as 17 points midway through the first half but were outscored 49-42 in the second half, including a devastating 24-11 deficit in the final 6:45.

Collin Parker led Austin Peay with 29 points, shooting four three-pointers in the first half alone, while Rashaud Marshall contributed 19 points and a team-best nine rebounds. The Govs shot 57.1 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from three in the first half but couldn't maintain that efficiency. Central Arkansas shot 68 percent from the floor and 64.3 percent from three in the second half to secure the comeback victory.

Trevecca Nazarene's men's team fell 89-85 to Union University in Jackson, eliminating their chances of hosting a first-round Gulf South Conference tournament game. Brett Wright led the Trojans (17-10, 12-9 GSC) with a career-high 31 points, while Fred Bailey added 25 as the duo combined to make 19 of 30 shots. However, Union's superior free-throw shooting (24-for-27) proved decisive, and the Bulldogs' 20 second-half free-throw attempts exposed Trevecca's defensive limitations.

On the women's side, Austin Peay fell 67-54 to Eastern Kentucky to close their home schedule, with Anovia Sheals leading the Govs with 20 points and seven rebounds.

Trevecca's women also struggled, dropping an 84-55 road contest to Union, with the loss setting up a crucial final regular-season game with seeding implications still in play.

Looking Ahead

Nashville's basketball community enters the final stretch of the regular season with several teams positioning themselves for tournament success. Vanderbilt heads to Lexington with momentum, Belmont continues its dominant season, and ASUN and GSC teams battle for crucial seeding. The next 48 hours will prove decisive for several local programs' postseason aspirations.