LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Bellarmine basketball fans have become accustomed to great passing and great shooting in recent years as the Knights are consistently among the national leaders in field goal percentage and assists. 
 
If Saturday night's 77-51 exhibition victory over Mt. St. Joseph's is a true indication of the 2017-18 Knights team, then Bellarmine fans won't be disappointed in the this year's squad.
 
Bellarmine shot 60.4 percent from the field and handed out 24 assists on 29 made baskets against the Division III Lions.
 
However, Bellarmine Coach Scott Davenport was more interested in a different statistic. He kept his focus on turnovers.  "We beat Mount Saint Joseph, but we lost to the game of basketball," he said. "We turned the ball over 16 times against Cincinnati, who pressed us for 40 minutes, and they're a top 10, top 12 team in the country. We turned it over 16 times tonight against a team tonight that pressed us maybe two possessions.  Consequently they get 53 shots and we get 48."
 
The Knights' Achilles' heel was unforced turnovers. "Nobody tries to turn it over," Davenport said. "It's failure to execute the fundamental things you're taught."
 
Despite the turnovers, the Knights can take away several positives from the Mt. St. Joseph's victory, namely the aforementioned shooting and passing and their excellent work on the defensive glass.  
 
The Lions failed to claim an offensive rebound despite shooting less than 38 percent for the game as Bellarmine ripped down 33 defensive boards and claimed four on the offensive end to win the battle of the backboards 37-15. 
 
Individually, four Knights scored in double figures with Ben Weyer, Tyler Jenkins and Jarek Coles chipping in 11 apiece and Caleb Taylor netting 10. 
 
Adam Eberhard and Chivarsky Corbett dominated the glass with 11 and eight rebounds respectively while Parker Chitty dished out eight assists.
 
Mount St. Joseph was paced by Andrew Finley's 16 points.
 
The Knights return to action Tuesday night when they close their exhibition schedule with a game against the University of Louisville in the KFC Yum! Center at 7 p.m.
 
"We have four practices and one exhibition to get ready for two in-region games…that's all that matters," said Davenport. 
 
The Knights' regular season opener comes in the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge, which will be played in Indianapolis on Nov. 10 and 11.  Bellarmine opens with Saginaw Valley State on day one and will meet Northwood the following day.
  
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