KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — After struggling from the field for a few games, Raven Merriweather approached Bellarmine University Coach Chancellor Dugan and asked if there was anything visibly wrong with her shot technique.

Dugan responded that the junior guard's form was fine, but the veteran coach suggested that Merriweather was taking too long to size up her jumps shots or hesitating before driving and perhaps that was disrupting her natural rhythm.

Well, Merriweather found that rhythm Saturday in Pershing Arena, stroking 12 of her 14 attempts in registering a career-high 28 points in a convincing 89-77 victory over Truman State in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

"Raven is a great shooter," Dugan said. "When she asked what was wrong with her shot, I said, 'Nothing. You're just looking at (the play) too long (before you make a decision)."

Merriweather was scoring in the blink of an eye on Saturday for No. 4 Bellarmine (14-1, 6-0 GLVC). Putting a 2-for-13 performance the previous outing against Quincy firmly behind her, she scored 10 points inside the first three minutes against Truman State (8-8, 3-4).

And Merriweather wasn't the only member of the backcourt who played exceptionally. While Bellarmine's frontcourt is often counted on to enforce the scoring damage, the latest victory for the Knights was largely a tribute to its guard play against the Bulldogs. In addition to Merriweather, senior guards Destony Curry and Kelsey Adwell scored 16 points apiece. That trio combined for 60 points on merciless 23-for-30 shooting, guiding Bellarmine to a season high in field-goal percentage (57.6) and field goals made (34). Merriweather drilled four of her five attempts from 3-point range.

"I can't say enough about what our guards did tonight," Dugan said. "I thought they really took over the game."

It happened in the second period. The Knights, who never trailed, opened a 7-0 lead en route to a 28-23 lead after one high-scoring quarter. In the second frame, Bellarmine took control of the game with a 16-2 run where Curry, Merriweather and Adwell combined for 14 of the points.

Bellarmine's lead never dipped below 10 thereafter. A jumper by freshman guard Katie Downey pushed it to 17 deep in the third quarter, and it rose to 18 on a few occasions in the fourth.

Junior forward Beth Bowers went 5 of 6 from the field and scored nine of her 11 points in the second half for Bellarmine. Sophomore center Ally Mayhaus grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. Adwell distributed a game-high five assists, and Merriweather led everyone with four steals.

Cassidy Clark scored 20 to lead Truman State, and Ashley Hartwig chipped in 14.

Bellarmine plays at 6:15 (ET) Monday at Southern Indiana. The Screaming Eagles are also 6-0 in league play.

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