Belcher's Double-Double Propels Cougars to 13th Straight Win

Box Score

February 4, 2006

         EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. -- Ryan Belcher notched the first double-double of his Southern Illinois University Edwardsville career as the 18th-ranked Cougars defeated Bellarmine 67-53 for their 13th straight win.
         Belcher finished with 17 points, a career-high 10 rebounds, and two steals. The senior from Mexico, Mo., went 3 of 5 from the floor and 9 for 10 from the free throw line.
         SIUE improves to 17-3 overall and 11-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Bellarmine drops to 10-11 overall and 7-6 in the conference.
         The win over the Knights gives the Cougars a perfect 7-0 record this season against teams in the GLVC East Division.
         The winning streak is the second longest in school history as the Cougars won 14 games in a row last season.
         The Cougars led 9-8 with 13:34 to go in the first half before going on a 10-2 run over the next 3:14 to lead by nine. The Knights trimmed the lead to 21-17 with 7:01 to go in the first half. SIUE countered with a 12-0 run to gain a 33-17 advantage as the Cougars held a team under 20 points in the first half for the third consecutive game at home.
         The Cougars ran their lead to 44-24 on a jumper by J.B. Jones with 15:04 left in the second half. The Knights battled back cutting the lead to 12 at 52-40 with 7:46 to go in the game. Another jumper by Jones gave SIUE a 59-42 advantage with 3:30 remaining. The Cougars went 6 of 6 from the charity stripe in the final minutes to seal the win.
         For the fourth consecutive game and the 10th time this season the Cougars held a team to less than 60 points.
         J.B. Jones netted 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting, handing out four assists. Ty Johnson scored 13 points going 6 for 10 from the field. Nick Arth added nine points and Justin Ward had six points grabbing four rebounds.
         SIUE held Bellarmine to 35.2 percent (19-54) from the field and 15.4 percent (2-13) from beyond the three-point arc. The Cougars shot 48.1 percent (25-52)from the field.
         Matt Otte led the Knights with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Kyle Thrasher scored 14 points going 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
         The Cougars begin a four-game road trip this Tuesday at Oakland City. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
                  -siue cougars-

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Players Mentioned

#33 Nick Arth: F; 6' 6"; Freshman

#10 Ryan Belcher: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#3 Ty Johnson: G; 5' 11"; Junior

#22 J.B. Jones: G; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#50 Justin Ward: F; 6' 6"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#33 Nick Arth
: 6' 6"; Freshman
: F

#10 Ryan Belcher
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#3 Ty Johnson
: 5' 11"; Junior
: G

#22 J.B. Jones
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: G

#50 Justin Ward
: 6' 6"; Senior
: F