LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Christmas may have passed, but the Bellarmine University women's basketball team was still in a giving mood on Sunday at Knights Hall.

Bellarmine spread the wealth offensively, as seven different players scored in double figures and another barely missed doing the same in a decisive 96-77 victory over William Jewell in Great Lakes Valley Conference action.

It was the first-ever victory for the Knights (7-3, 2-0 GLVC) over the Cardinals (6-5, 1-2), as BU dropped the first three meetings between the teams. Due to an explosive second half in which the Knights piled up a staggering 57 points, they posted their highest overall point total since scoring 113 in an overtime loss to then-GLVC rival Kentucky Wesleyan in February of 2012.

"It's fun to watch, it's fun to coach and it's fun to play," BU Coach Chancellor Dugan of the balanced scoring due to unselfish play. "These kids always look for each other out there. When we play together and make that extra pass, that's what Knights basketball is all about."

Bellarmine had an abundant amount of season bests. In addition to setting a lofty new standard for points, the Knights had highs in rebounds (50), assists (21) and field goals made (34). BU also buried 23 of 26 (88.5 percent) from the free throw line, forced 21 turnovers and grabbed 20 offensive rebounds.

Sophomore forward Kelsey Adwell garnered her first career double-double for Bellarmine, pulling down a career-best 10 rebounds while tying a career high with 13 points. Sophomore guard Whitney Hartlage paced BU with 14 points, junior guard Mackenzie Martinez and freshman forward Beth Bowers had 12 apiece, senior forward Morgan Clemons chipped in 11, and junior center Jennifer Smith and sophomore guard Destony Curry added 10 apiece. Junior guard Mariah Gador was on the cusp of double-digits with nine points.

"It could be any person on any night, and they don't care who it is," Dugan said of her many scoring threats.

Bellarmine's domination on the glass and its ability to harass William Jewell into turnovers allowed the Knights to only trail 41-39 at halftime despite 57.7 percent shooting by the Cardinals and a 31.8 percent clip by BU in the first half. It was a complete reversal in the second half, as the Knights shot 58.8 percent and held the Cardinals to 37.8 percent. The rebounding (50-32) and turnover differential (14-21) plus 11 more made free throws helped turn the game into a rout.

"We really did a good job on our press. I thought we rattled them a little bit," Dugan said. "I was pleased with how we rebounded in the second half, and I thought we did a good job of taking care of the basketball with the exception of a few possessions."

A one-sided win didn't appear in the cards early. William Jewell, which got 14 points apiece from Maddie Nelson and Aerial Smith, led by as many as seven points in the first half. The Cardinals stroked four of their seven 3-point attempts and went into the intermission with a two-point lead.

With around 15 minutes left, Bowers sank a jumper off a feed from Hartlage for a 50-49 lead and Bellarmine would never look back, rattling off an 18-2 run that allowed the Knights to cruise to a 2-0 start in GLVC play. Hartlage drained a pair of 3-pointers and Adwell had four points during the outburst.

Martinez and Curry both had three steals, sparking Bellarmine's 27 points off turnovers. Adwell snatched a game-high five offensive rebounds, spearheading the Knights' 17-2 superiority in second-chance points. Adwell and Clemons combined to go 11 for 11 from the charity stripe. Adwell, Hartlage and Martinez each had five assists.

The contest was Bellarmine's last home outing before a five-game road trip. The Knights play at Missouri S&T on Thursday and at Drury on Saturday.

BOX SCORE (HTM)