Box Score LOUISVILLE, Ky.—After a lackluster first half, the No. 5 Bellarmine University Knights put on a clinic as they extended a three point halftime lead to win by the final count of 75-48 over the Nova Southeastern University Sharks in the final game of the Fern Valley Hotel Classic at Knights Hall on Saturday night.
After NSU's Sean Mullan scored the first point of the second half to pull the Sharks to within two, the Knights reeled off 13 unanswered points before NSU made a bucket at the 15:46 mark. On the ensuing possession,
Chris Dowe drained a deep 3-pointer and was fouled on the play. His free throw made the Bellarmine run 17-3 to start the half as the Knights connected on six of their first eight shots.
Dowe, a Basketball Times Preseason All-American, had his best performance of the year leading all scorers with 25 points and dishing out a game-high six assists. The senior from Eastern punctuated his night with an amazing personal 7-0 run in just 41 seconds. After getting a steal, Dowe broke away for a thunderous dunk, then after an NSU turnover
Jelani Johnson fed Dowe with an alley-oop for a second dunk. Then, Dowe picked up another steal and connected on a three to complete the run.
In the opening half, Bellarmine shot just 38.5 percent while recording just two assists and committing seven turnovers. The Knights played tough defense, however, holding the Sharks to just 30.4 percent shooting in the first period.
The second half was a completely different story as Bellarmine had the explosive start and just kept extending the lead. The margin grew to as many as 29 at the 3:53 mark, and Bellarmine coasted home for the 27-point win. The Knights also turned around the assist to turnover ratio with 13 second half assists with just three turnovers.
“Wow. That was amazing,” said Bellarmine Coach
Scott Davenport. “All of our offense was generated by our defense in the second half, and the ability to find each other made the difference.”
The improved second half passing led to 12 of 17 shooting from beyond the arc for the Knights as
Vance Hall,
Jelani Johnson, and
George Suggs combined to go six for six from deep in the second period while Dowe made three of four second half treys.
“I told the St. Raphael (Grade School) team in the locker room that if you shoot the shots that you practice then you should expect to make them,” Davenport said, adding that that was what the Knights did in the second half.
For the game, Bellarmine finished shooting 50.9 percent from the field while holding NSU to just 33.3 percent. The Sharks held a 32-26 rebounding advantage, but the Knights forced the visitors into 20 turnovers.
Gary Tuell--the NSU head coach who is a Louisville native, former Denny Crum assistant, and long-time acquaintance of Davenport--said of the second half turnaround, “more than anything we couldn't hit a three, and I think that's because we played a little tired. And Bellarmine took advantage of that, which is what good teams do. That's why they're ranked fifth in the country. They're pretty darn good.”
Bellarmine extended its record to 8-0 with the win while Nova Southeastern fall to an even 3-3.
The Knights now get a long break before heading into Great Lakes Valley Conference play with a home contest on Jan. 3 against Quincy.
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