SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The No. 2 Bellarmine University Knights men's basketball team will be playing for the school's first national championship on Saturday by virtue of an 81-74 win over No. 8 Minnesota State University Mankato on Thursday evening in an NCAA Division II Semifinal at the MassMutual Center.
Bellarmine (32-2) will play Brigham Young University-Hawaii on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. before a nationwide viewing audience on CBS network television. The Seasiders defeated unbeaten and top-ranked West Liberty University 110-101 in the second semifinal game.
“We really played well and when you are trying to advance to a national championship, you should be playing your best,” Bellarmine Head Coach Scott Davenport said. “Both teams played with full intensity, and we are looking forward to playing one more game.”
Coming off the bench for the 34th game this season, Chris Dowe had a team-high 21 points off 6-10 shooting from the field, including four critical free throws in the final three minutes of the ball game. Dowe also drew a charge foul on Minnesota State's Stephen Kirschbaum with 54.4 seconds to play.
“I don't need to start,” Dowe said following the game. “I actually enjoy coming off bench. There are a number of great sixth men in all levels of basketball, and I try to bring the same focus and spark as they do.”
The Knights turned the ball over a season-low four times for the game, including just one turnover in the second half, an errant pass by Jeremy Kendle with 11 seconds to play in game with the outcome already decided.
Kendle had a remarkable second half, scoring the Knights' first seven points of the frame, finishing the game with 18 points off 6-10 shooting. Justin Benedetti added 16 points, while Nick Holmes had four assists and zero turnovers.
“My mindset was to continue to play defense hard in the second half,” Kendle said. “I wanted to get my teammates the ball, and I was fortunate to get it back from them and score some buckets.”
Holmes collected three rebounds in the game, none bigger than his lone offensive board where he dished the ball out to the perimeter for a Dowe three-point basket, giving BU a lead it would never relinquish at 66-64 with 6:01 remaining.
Braydon Hobbs, a day after his first career foul out and a career-low scoring output, returned to form with 13 points off 3-5 shooting from behind the arc. His three-pointer from behind the NBA line that bounced off the front of the rim, kissed the glass, and somehow made its way through the net, giving the Knights a 69-66 lead with 4:05 left provided the highlight of the evening.
“We came out and fought hard,” Hobbs said. “We did what Coach Davenport asked us to, and now we're going to get ready for the national championship game.”
Rebounding nearly doomed the Knights. Bellarmine was outrebounded 39-23 for the game, including a 21-14 advantage for the Mavericks in the second half.
“(Minnesota State's players) are tremendous rebounders of the basketball,” Davenport said. “We were able to get the game in transition in the second half because of our defensive rebounding, and that was the difference in this game.”
Cameron Hodges and Jefferson Mason each scored 24 points to lead the Mavericks (28-5), while Mason also pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds.
Minnesota State's Marcus Hill opened the game's scoring on the Mavericks' first possession with a three from the top of the key. Luke Sprague answered immediately with a long-distance shot of his own, the first of his three long-range shots on the night. However, the Knights were faced with another early deficit at 7-3, prompting BU to use their first timeout.
Bellarmine pulled even at 13 when Benedetti scored a layup off a Holmes pass, and pulled ahead when Hobbs drained a three-pointer. Dowe contributed a pair of slam dunks and an acrobatic layup to finish the half with nine points.
The Mavs extended the lead to three points with 1:06 to play in the opening frame, but free throws by Benedetti tied the game at 38 going into the break.
Back home in Louisville, members of Knights Nation watched the game from a number of locales on and around campus.
“Louisville has just grabbed these guys,” Davenport said. “I saw pictures of game watching parties for these guys, and I believe two more busloads of students and staff will join us here. You have to give credit to the people here, and there could not be a more deserving group of young men. They represent their parents, the university, the city, and everyone who's ever put on a Bellarmine jersey or a whistle.”
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