LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Bellarmine University men's basketball team held a one-point lead with 2:35 remaining in the game, but Kentucky Wesleyan College hit two free throws less than 30 seconds later to propel the Panthers to a  71-69 win at Knights Hall on Thursday evening.

Jeremy Kendle connected on the back-end of a two-shot foul that gave the Knights a 64-63 lead.  Marico Stinson responded with two free throws of his own at the 1:09 mark, igniting a six-point run by Kentucky Wesleyan, giving them the lead for good.

“The crowd was phenomenal tonight,” Bellarmine Head Coach Scott Davenport said.   “No matter how bad they feel leaving Knights Hall, I guarantee our players feel 100 percent worse.”

Kendle led all players with 20 points and seven assists on the night, and shared the team lead for rebounds with six.  Justin Benedetti and Bryadon Hobbs each had 11 points, while Nick Holmes rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10.

Bellarmine struggled on the offensive end, committing 14 turnovers on the night.  12 of those turnovers were KWC steals.  The Panthers, in turn, committed eight turnovers for the game.

The Panthers were led by reserve Andree' Wilson's 17 points and seven rebounds.  Desmond Stephens had 16 points, and Chris Williams added 12. 

There was no relief from the foul line, as the Panthers connected on 17 of 18 shots from the charity stripe, including 15 in the second half.

“After a loss like that, you just have to pick your head up and go.  This group of guys will do just that,” Davenport said.

The Knights close out the regular season on Saturday night with a matchup against the University of Southern Indiana.  Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., and homecoming ceremonies will take place at halftime of the game.

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