SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—The No. 18 Drury Panthers squeezed past the upset-minded Bellarmine Knights 78-74 this afternoon in a Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup in Drury's Weiser Gymnasium.
The Panthers (11-3, 4-1 GLVC) got a key tip-in and were a perfect six of six from the free throw line in the game's final 20 seconds to overcome a solid effort from a Knights team that was playing short-handed.
“I've never been more proud of a group kids in my life,” said Bellarmine Coach Scott Davenport. “The kids played their hearts out,” he said, noting that several players were not playing due to injuries and academic obligations.
“I told the guys in the locker room after the game that I'm as happy as can be because I have my team back,” Davenport said referring to the extraordinary team effort. “We'll get better from here.”
The Knights (9-6, 2-4 GLVC) had five players in double figures, led by sophomore Luke Sprague, who posted a new career high with 18 points on nine of 11 shooting.
Offensively, the Knights were rock solid, shooting 55 percent for the game and knocking down seven of 18 3-point tries. Bellarmine outscored Drury 69-54 from the field. The Panthers made up the difference by making 24 of 27 free throws. Bellarmine attempted just five shots from the charity stripe, connecting on all five.
The Panthers were led by 6-1 freshman guard Alex Hall, who scored 29 points and had a game high seven rebounds.
The game was close throughout and featured seven ties and seven lead changes. Bellarmine eased out to nine point lead in the first half, but Drury closed the opening period with an 8-0 run to close the gap to 29-28 at the half.
The game went all the way to the wire. Bellarmine junior Justin Benedetti drained a three to give the Knights a 71-70 with just 57 ticks left. After a Drury timeout, the Panthers ran the shot clock down nearly all the way before misfiring on a shot. Hall, however, was there for the tip-in to give Drury the lead they would never surrender.
Bellarmine returns home for a Thursday-Saturday homestand. The Knights entertain the University of Indianapolis at 8 p.m. on Jan. 14, and host St. Joseph's on the Jan. 16 at 3:15 p.m.
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