Hosting No. 25 Rio Grande on Saturday, the Brescia men’s basketball team pulled off one of their biggest upsets in recent history, winning 79-76. This marks the Bearcats’ first win over a ranked opponent in eight years.
Leading by 12 entering halftime, Brescia controlled the pace for the majority of the game, before holding off Rio Grande’s late surge. Bowling Green native Linkin Lockhart led the way for the Bearcats with 24 points, shooting an impressive 6-8 from deep. Damian Garcia added 23 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Garcia ranks third in NAIA in scoring.
On the defensive end, Brescia won the rebound battle and held Rio Grande to 43% shooting from the field. Since the start of 2025, the Bearcats have won three of their last five games.
“I think Saturday we really competed hard on the defensive end of the floor and took Rio out of what they wanted to do,” Brescia coach Matt Karn said. “For 36 minutes we controlled the game on that end. We pressured them out of things they wanted to do 94 feet up the floor. During the last two minutes, we let them get comfortable and they made some shots to get back into the game. We ran our offense with a really good pace and got guys great shots in the right spots – even overcoming a tough shooting night from our best player. A lot of guys stepped up on that end and were able to contribute.”
