Box Score SOMERS, Wisc.—The No. 7 Bellarmine University Knights fell behind by 16 in the first half and the home-standing Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers fought off a comeback to hold on for a 76-74 victory in a Great Lakes Valley Conference game Thursday night at DeSimone Gymnasium.

The Knights (13-3, 5-3 GLVC) had a chance to send the game into overtime or win the game outright after Bellarmine's Corbin Maynard forced a turnover with just 3.9 seconds remaining in the game. However, the Rangers' defense came up with a strip of the basketball and Bellarmine failed to get off a shot on the final possession.

The Rangers (15-2, 8-0 GLVC) got a huge effort from Jimmy Gavin, who came off the bench to pour in 30 points and dish out six assists.  The Knights, who were without the services of George Suggs due to a sprained ankle sustained in the Southern Indiana game, were led by Keisten Jones' 17 points while Jake Thelen added 16 points and five assists.

"It's our first road loss of the year," said Bellarmine Coach Scott Davenport.  "I've been very, very proud of them.  But you break this down statistically so many ways, and we only turn it over 11 times; we made more shots than they did; we shoot 50 percent from the field.  But in the second half we just couldn't keep them out of the lane.  They only missed seven shots the entire second half."

For Bellarmine, it was the third loss in four games.  All three losses were by just two points, and in all three losses, free throw shooting has been an issue.  Tonight, the Knights missed their first four charity tosses and finished making 13 of 20 for 65 percent.  "In a two point game, they (UWP) shoot two less and make two more," Davenport pointed out on his postgame radio interview.  The Rangers connected on 15 of 18 free throws in the game.

The game started poorly for the Knights as they took the court for the first time without Suggs in the starting lineup.  The Rangers parlayed BU's bad start into a 16-point lead by the 4:50 mark of the first half.  Bellarmine finally went on a run in the last 5:10, outscoring the Rangers 13-2 to trail by just five, 35-30, at the half.  

In the second period, the Knights continued to claw their way back into the game, and took a 47-46 lead 5:42 into half when Vance Hall converted an old-fashioned 3-point play.  However, the lead lasted just nine seconds as Gavin answered for the Rangers. 

Wisconsin-Parkside eventually built the lead back to nine, but Bellarmine refused to fold and twice trimmed the margin to just two.  The Rangers showed their resiliency by making seven of eight free throws in the final 1:02 to secure the victory.

The Knights now travel to Romeoville, Ill., on Saturday to face the No. 19 Lewis Flyers, who posted a 73-63 victory over No. 9 Southern Indiana tonight.  Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. (EST).

BOX SCORE (HTM)