INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—The No. 1 Bellarmine University men's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season as the host Indianapolis Greyhounds upset the defending national champions 99-94 in overtime tonight in Nicoson Hall in the Great Lakes Valley Conference opener for both teams.
After UIndy's Mark Brigham hit one of two free throws to tie the score with 3.3 seconds remaining in regulation,
Chris Dowe's 3-pointer as time expired rattled in and out to send the game in overtime. In the extra session, the Greyhounds came up with a couple of big put back baskets and hit their free throws down the stretch to pull out the victory.
Bellarmine got off to a great start, taking a 15-4 lead less than five minutes into the game and enjoyed a 37-30 halftime lead. After the break, however, the Greyhounds came out red hot and finally wrestled the lead away from the Knights at the 5:01 mark. From there, the teams battled to an 84-84 tie.
Bellarmine Coach
Scott Davenport said, “This was just a defensive breakdown from top to bottom. In the second half, they (Indianapolis) shot 72 percent. They only missed seven shots and got seven offensive rebounds.”
“(Indianapolis) deserved the victory,” Davenport added. “We didn't earn the loss, but we didn't earn the victory.”
The loss overshadowed several great offensive performances for the Knights.
Jeremy Kendle led all scorers with 31, which ties his career record.
Braydon Hobbs, meanwhile, posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 assists.
The Greyhounds were led by Adrian Moss with 29 points, and Reece Cheatham tossed in 24—all after halftime.
Indianapolis dominated the backboards, outrebounding the Knights 38-19, which led the Hounds to a huge 19-4 advantage in second chance points.
Both teams now sport identical 5-1 records.
The road trip was plagued with trouble from the outset as traffic issues along Interstate 65 delayed the Knights' arrival and the game started 30 minutes later than scheduled to accommodate Bellarmine's traveling woes.
Next up for the Knights is another road GLVC contest as BU travels to Rennselaer, Ind., to take on St. Joseph's on Saturday at 4 p.m. (EST).
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