Box Score RENSSELAER, Ind.—The Bellarmine University men's basketball team bolted out of the gates with an opening 15-0 run and went on to roll to a 106-63 victory over St. Joseph's College in a Great Lakes Valley Conference contest at Scharf Fieldhouse.

The host Pumas never seriously threatened after Bellarmine's strong start.  In fact, the closest St. Joseph's could get was 14 points the rest of the way as the Knights ran out to a 53-29 halftime advantage.

In the second period, Bellarmine just kept extending their lead, which grew to as many as 44 in closing minutes.

Bellarmine shot a blistering 64.3 percent from the field as five players scored in double figures.  Vance Hall led the way with 19 points, while Keisten Jones, Jake Thelen and Donnie Hale were a combined 19 for 19 from the field.  Hale pitched in a career high 14 points.

The Pumas' Cameron Vines, who leads the GLVC in scoring, tossed in 26 points to lead all scorers. 

"That was a great night of basketball," said Bellarmine Coach Scott Davenport. "We really, really played well.  The first half was an amazing display of basketball, especially from a defensive standpoint.  We really played good defense all night." 

Bellarmine got contributions from up and down the lineup and won practically every statistical category.  Eleven different players scored as Rusty Troutman logged the most time on the court with 27 minutes. The Knights held the Pumas to just 35 percent shooting and won the battle of the backboards 39-30.

St. Joseph's fired up 26 threes on the game, but connected just six times while Bellarmine was 14 of 24 from long range, just missing the school record of 15 treys in a game.
Bellarmine improves to 19-5 on the season and 11-5 in conference play, and St. Joseph's falls to 4-22, 1-15 GLVC.

The Knights now face a road game on Saturday at No. 4 Indianapolis, who knocked off No. 20 Southern Indiana tonight with a convincing 92-67 victory. 

"We asked our players, 'if it's an NCAA tournament game how hard would you play,'" Davenport said. "Well, it is.  We've got to play our best every night."

The Greyhounds and the Knights will square off at 7:45 p.m. in Nicoson Hall as UIndy celebrates senior night.

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