LOUISVILLE, Ky. — If the Bellarmine University women's basketball starters were making a case to maintain their statuses, they sure did make compelling arguments on Saturday at Knights Hall.

The quintet combined for 73 points, 34 rebounds and 11 steals in an 85-74 victory over nonconference foe West Virginia State as the Knights recorded their third straight win.

Senior guard Raven Merriweather led Bellarmine (6-3) with 21 points, senior forward Beth Bowers added 19, sophomore forward Mallory Schwartz chipped in 15 and junior center Liza Tibbs contributed 12. All four pulled down seven rebounds against West Virginia State (3-7), and freshman guard Breia Torrens, the fifth starter, had six boards along with four assists and three steals.

Jasmine Davis scored a game-high 22 points for the Yellow Jackets, including sinking six of the team's 15 made 3-pointers. WVSU attempted 34 shots from long range. Bellarmine took advantage by dominating in close as the Knights outscored the Yellow Jackets 42-8 in the paint.

Bellarmine also did a splendid job of starting quarters strong. A Tibbs basket gave the Knights a 7-0 lead in the first, a Tibbs jumper capped a 9-0 burst to begin the third and Merriweather drained a 3-pointer for a 5-0 surge to kick off the fourth.

With less than five seconds left in the opening period, Tibbs converted a putback for a 27-13 lead. Bellarmine asserted its command in the paint by outscoring WVSU 14-0 in that area in the initial frame. The Knights also turned 10 Yellow Jackets turnovers into 13 points.

West Virginia State regrouped in the second quarter and battled back to within 46-39 at halftime. It took the Knights less than two minutes in the third quarter to push their advantage back to double digits, and it grew to as many as 18 on a basket by freshman guard Whitney O'Mara.

Bellarmine cruised in the fourth quarter. Merriweather, who had four assists and three steals, drilled a 3-pointer inside the first minute for a 22-point lead. The Knights were still up 18 with less than two minutes left after sophomore guard Katie Downey spotted freshman forward Lauren Deel with one of her five assists.

The game marked the last of nine straight home contests to start the season for Bellarmine. The Knights play at 1 p.m. (ET) Tuesday at Ohio Dominican.

For more coverage of Bellarmine athletics, follow us on Twitter (@BUKnights), Instagram (BUKnights), Facebook (BUKnights) and the BUKnights mobile app available for iPhone and Android.

BOX SCORE (HTM)