RENSSELAER, Ind. — Five players scored in double figures as the No. 11 Bellarmine University women's basketball team defeated Saint Joseph's 86-81 on Saturday at the Scharf Fieldhouse in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

Senior guard Destony Curry had 13 points and three steals for Bellarmine (17-3, 9-2 GLVC), which led by 13 with 1:18 left before Saint Joseph's (8-13, 4-7) made a frantic rally to get within one possession with less than 20 seconds remaining. Senior guard Whitney Hartlage nailed a trio of 3-pointers in scoring 12 points with five assists, junior guard Raven Merriweather matched her with 12 points, senior forward Sarah Galvin chipped in 11 points and freshman guard Mikayla Berry added 10.

Bellarmine Coach Chancellor Dugan shook up her starting lineup, inserting senior guard Serena Sandusky, Berry and sophomore center Liza Tibbs with Hartlage and junior forward Beth Bowers. That may have helped inspire the regular starters, as the Knights piled up a 46-28 advantage in bench points.

"We started so bad the last three games, I wanted to see what something else looked like," Dugan said. "The bottom line is that no matter who starts or who plays, it's all about Bellarmine."

Bellarmine trailed 18-17 after one quarter, but the Knights ripped off a 13-2 run leading into the intermission to lead 42-34. Hartlage sank a 3-pointer and found Galvin for a pair of layups during the burst, and Merriweather capped it by following her free throws with a basket with 1 second left.

Merriweather's 3-pointer gave Bellarmine its first double-digit lead in the third quarter, and Curry drained a 3-pointer and followed with a layup just before time expired for a 14-point advantage heading into the fourth period. The Knights led by as many as 17 points in the final stanza and were up 80-67 with 1:18 left.

A flurry of Bellarmine turnovers allowed Saint Joseph's to surge back. The Pumas cut their deficit to three with 16 seconds left after a 3-pointer. Merriweather followed by canning a pair of free throws, and after a Pumas basket kept it at one possession, Curry hit her first free throw for a four-point lead that sealed the win.

"They're fun to coach when they play hard like that," Dugan said.

Hannah Albrecht scored a game-high 21 points for Saint Joseph's, and Kalea Parks added 20. The Pumas shot 54 percent, while the Knights shot 48.2 percent. Hartlage, Curry and Berry combined for seven of the Knights' nine 3-pointers — Saint Joseph's sank five from deep. The teams combined for 43 turnovers.

Bellarmine hosts Drury on Thursday and Missouri S&T on Saturday.

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