Box Score EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In a battle of ranked squads, the No. 6 Bellarmine University men's basketball team dropped a 62-49 decision to No. 13 University of Southern Indiana on Thursday night at the Physical Activities Center.
 
The Knights shot a season-low 35.2 percent (19-54) from the field, and could only get to the free throw line eight times in the team's lowest scoring output since a 69-47 loss to Northern Kentucky in the 2010 GLVC Championship Game in the PAC.
 
“They (USI) are arguably the best defensive basketball team in the country,” Bellarmine Head Coach Scott Davenport said.  “They played a tremendous game and dominated us on the inside.”
 
Vance Hall led the Bellarmine charge with 12 points, while Keisten Jones and Ryan Burton joined him in double figures with 10 apiece.
 
Chris Dowe was 3-9 from the field for seven points, but led the team with eight rebounds and four assists.
 
Bellarmine was outrebounded 33-28 for the game, and Southern Indiana had an 18-6 advantage on points in the paint. 
 
“We just didn't react very well as a team when it came to rebounding the ball,” Davenport said.
 
Southern Indiana was led by center Keith DeWitt's 18 points (6-8 from the field) 12 rebounds, and six blocked shots.  Guard Orlando Rutlege contributed 14 points and six rebounds for the winning side.   
 
The Knights took an early advantage, leading by as many as eight points with 10:31 to play in the first half.  Cold shooting ensued, as Bellarmine went without a field goal during the next 8:05 of game action, when Keisten Jones connected on a jumper from the right side to cut the USI advantage to 30-24.  The run concluded with 16 straight points by the home team, and the Knights trailed by a 37-26 margin at intermission.
 
Bellarmine will return to Knights Hall on Saturday for an 8 p.m. homecoming tilt with rival Kentucky Wesleyan College.  The Panthers are ranked No. 18 in this week's NCAA Division II NABC Poll, and defeated McKendree University 83-56 on Thursday in Owensboro.

BOX SCORE