TERRE HAUTE, Ind. --- Playing their first game under new head coach Chancellor Dugan, the Bellarmine University women's basketball team fought the host Indiana State Sycamores for the entire game but came up short, losing 51-39 in an exhibition game at ISU's Hulman Center.

The Knights showed little signs of being intimated by the Div.-I Sycamores, building a 19-13 lead with 6:49 to play on a jumper by Betsy Goodin. The senior guard scored nine of her team-high 10 points in the opening half on 4-5 shooting.

Indiana State countered BU's play with a 15-4 run over the final five minutes of the opening half to take a 31-23 lead into the locker room. Bellarmine went into the break shooting 34.6% (9-26) but were outrebounded 28-18 by the taller Sycamores.

The second half was a defensive struggle with the two teams combining to score 36 points in the period. A year after giving up 72.2 points per game to their opponents, the Knights had little problem playing that style, holding ISU to just 17.6% (6-34) from the field in the final stanza. 

Indiana State held a double-digit lead for the majority of the half before the Knights clawed their way back down the stretch.  Three straight baskets by the Knights brought the score to 44-38 with 4:13 left in the game, but Indiana State had more left in the tank, finishing the game with a 6-0 run of their own to take the game.

While only scoring 4 points, sophomore Darion Hutchinson, who is the niece of ISU head coach Teri Moren, pulled down 11 boards in 31 minutes of action. Dugan also received a 4 point, 3 rebound, and 7 assist performance from junior Therese Montano.

Bellarmine will wrap up their exhibition season on Monday night, traveling to Lexington, Ky. to battle the seventh ranked Wildcats of Kentucky; tip-off is 6:00 p.m.

BOX SCORE