LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Bellarmine Knights broke open a tight game during the game's final six minutes to get a 78-67 victory over the visiting Indianapolis Greyhounds in a men's basketball Great Lakes Valley Conference contest in Knights Hall tonight.
The Knights (10-6, 3-4 GLVC) were led by junior Justin Benedetti, who was held scoreless in the first half but erupted for 22 points in the second period.
The game was close throughout and featured 11 ties and 15 lead changes. Benedetti gave the Knights the lead to stay with a 3-pointer at the 6:25 mark, which started an 11-0 run for Bellarmine.
“The key for us tonight,” said Bellarmine Head Coach Scott Davenport, “was our team trusting each other. They weren't just getting it to Justin; they were getting it to the open man. It's such a luxury to coach a smart group of guys.”
Davenport also was pleased with his team's late game execution. “We did a great job when we opened up the court late in the game,” he said. “We were getting high quality shots.”
Sophomore guard Braydon Hobbs also stepped up his game in the late in the game, contributing with his rebounding, passing and scoring. In the final two minutes, the New Albany native came up with a big offensive rebound then dished it to Luke Sprague for an uncontested jumper. He then followed that with another assist and two free throws to finish the game with 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
The Knights leading scorer on the season, Jeremy Kendle, had another solid performance with 13 points. Sprague also hit double digits, totaling 10 points to go along with his team high seven rebounds.
Bellarmine also did a solid job defensively, limiting to UIndy to just 36.8 percent shooting. The Greyhounds actually shot better from the beyond the arc, where they hit 11 of 28 for 39.3 percent. Nate Blank led the visitors posting game highs 23 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out late in the contest. The loss drops UIndy to 9-6 overall and 3-3 in the GLVC.
The Knights return to action on Saturday afternoon at home with a 3:15 p.m. scheduled tip against St. Joseph's.
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