BOX SCORE                  PHOTO GALLERY

LOUISVILLE, Ky. --- Behind a balanced attack, the Bellarmine University women's basketball team raced past the visiting Coker College Cobras, 84-67 in the opening day of the MetroMedical Solutions Thanksgiving Classic, getting a career high 17 points and 8 rebounds off the bench from freshman Morgan Clemons.

Clemons, a Sacred Heart product, lead the way for the Bellarmine (4-0) bench, who contributed 34 point to Coker's (0-4) 24. The Knights also outrebounded the Cobras 43-32 to continue their strong play on the glass this season.

The game was tight for the opening 10 minutes, but the Knights used a 20-4 run to close out the half, taking a 44-23 lead into the break. Bellarmine was blistering from the field in the opening period, hitting 18-35 (.514) from the field and going a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line.

On the first possession out of the locker room, Allison Matheis hit a three-pointer from the left wing as Bellarmine put the rout on, leading by as many as 28 points. In addition to Clemons's 17, three other Knights hit double-figures, as Darion Hutchinson had a career high 16 points with Kylie Brady and Therese Montano going for 15 and 11 points, respectively.

Coach David Smith had the luxury of playing all 12 players in the game, while limiting the minutes he had to use his starters in. Bellarmine went to the free throw line 18 times, hitting 15 of them, while the visitors from Hartsville, S.C. went just 3-5 from the stripe.

The Knights will be back in action tomorrow in day two of the Thanksgiving Classic, hosting St. Catharine College at 2:00 p.m. The Patriots squeaked out a 73-69 victory over Southern Indiana in the opening game of the day.