Box Score LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The No. 7 Bellarmine University Knights concluded 2014 on a highly positive note by cruising past the visiting Fairmont State Fighting Falcons 75-55 today in Knights Hall.
The Knights turned the game into a rout in the second half and led by as many as 31 before coasting to the 20-point victory. Bellarmine turned in an outstanding defensive performance, holding FSU to 28.1 percent shooting and forcing 21 turnovers.
Offensively, the Knights got solid contributions from nearly every player as 12 hit the scoring column for BU. Sophomore
Rusty Troutman led all scorers with 16 points and added six rebounds and four assists. Also with strong stat lines were
Jake Thelen (14 pts, 7 rebs, 4 assts) and
Chris Whitehead (15 pts, 5 rebs, 4 assts).
"This was a tremendous win," said Bellarmine Coach
Scott Davenport. "I'm very, very proud of this team because we had a great week of practice, and we moved forward as a basketball team today. The way we shared the ball, the attention to detail--this was a positive step for Bellarmine basketball today."
After Fairmont State scored the game's opening bucket, the Knights never trailed after
George Suggs nailed a three from the left baseline 55 seconds into the game. Bellarmine went on to shoot 54.2 percent in the opening 20 minutes and led by as many as 15 in the first period after
Josh Derksen slammed one home off a dish from Whitehead.
Leading 34-20 at the break, Bellarmine opened the second period on a 9-3 run to open up a 20 point margin before the first media timeout. The Knights extended their lead to 31 at the 4:47 mark when
Billy Edelen drained a 3-pointer from the baseline.
The loss marked the first dropped road game for the Fighting Falcons, who fell to 5-5 on the year, and the 20-point margin was the most lopsided loss of the their season.
Bellarmine improves to 8-1 on the season while playing a very competitive nonconference schedule. The Knights now move into Great Lakes Valley Conference play exclusively for the remainder of the season.
"This was our final exam as we go into conference play," said Davenport. "We now have 18 conference games in the best conference in the country. But we're going into it on an uptick in a situation where we're learning and improving, and as a coach that's what you love to see."
Bellarmine now has a mandatory 7-day break. The Knights will come back to practice on Dec. 29 with their next game coming on Friday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. against Rockhurst.
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