LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's basketball team will make its home debut Saturday as the Knights will welcome Central State for a 1 p.m. (ET) contest on Alumnae Day.
Bellarmine (2-0) will enter Knights Hall fresh off a pair of road victories in the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge. The Knights opened the season with an 83-79 win over Saginaw Valley State before defeating Northwood 74-65. Bellarmine is 7-2 all-time against Central State (2-1).
In Bellarmine's season debut against SVSU, junior center
Ally Mayhaus posted her second career double-double with a career-high 17 points and 10 rebounds after missing all of last season due to injury. Sophomore forward
Lauren Deel also registered a career-high 13 points before topping that tally with 18 against the Timberwolves.
Bellarmine dominated key areas in the two victories. The Knights had significant combined advantages of 100-40 in points in the paint, 57-22 in points off turnovers and 77-32 in bench scoring. Forcing a combined 49 turnovers helped the Knights attempt 54 more shots than their two opponents.
Deel (15.5), Mayhaus (13.5) and junior guard
Mikayla Berry (12.0) are scoring in double figures for Bellarmine. Mayhaus is the early rebounding leader (6.5) and shot blocker (four total). Freshman guard
Presley Brown has a team-best seven steals, and sophomore guard
Breia Torrens a team-high six assists.
Central State is coming off a 23-6 campaign in which the Marauders advanced to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament finals. Central State opened the season with a pair of home wins — 86-70 over Salem and 59-53 over Wilberforce — before falling 98-67 Thursday at No. 4 Union (Tenn.).
Takyra Gilbert is off to a sizzling start for Central State, averaging 20.3 points and over 5 assists per contest while tallying eight steals. Gilbert has drained 10 of her 19 3-point attempts and averaged eight free throws per game over her first three outings.
Three other Marauders are scoring in double figures. They are Brooke Spaulding (10.3), Falon Edwards (10.0, 7.0 rebounds) and Jaeda Davis (10.0, 5.0 rebounds, eight steals). Gilbert, Edwards and Spaulding all average more than 32 minutes of action per game.
Saturday marks Alumnae Day for the program. There will be a sign-in desk and information sheet for all former Knights who attend in the lobby area of Knights Hall.
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