FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's basketball team couldn't overcome frigid shooting Saturday afternoon as the Knights fell 56-47 to Kentucky State in a nonconference game at the Exum Center.

While Bellarmine (5-2) played an exhibition last Saturday at Western Kentucky, the contest against Kentucky State (6-5) marked the Knights' first "official" game since Dec. 1. Bellarmine's offense was likely impacted, as the cold-shooting Knights tied their second-lowest point total in the Chancellor Dugan era — they scored 45 against Wisconsin-Parkside in 2013, Dugan's first season at Bellarmine.

This same Knights squad piled up the most points ever in Dugan's tenure (102 in a blowout win over Central State on Nov. 17), but against Kentucky State it had one of those nightmarish shooting performances that happen on occasion. Bellarmine shot 28.1 percent overall and 9.1 percent (2 for 22) from 3-point range. The Knights were also just 9 for 18 from the free-throw line and committed 21 turnovers.

Despite the immense struggles, Bellarmine erased a 14-point third-quarter deficit to take a 43-42 lead on a layup by senior center Liza Tibbs off a feed from freshman guard Bailee Harney with 7:20 left in the fourth. Harney had buried one of the two Knights 3-pointers as time expired in the third.

The Bellarmine lead was short-lived. Kentucky State regained control with an 8-0 run to lead 50-43 with 3:25 left, and the Knights couldn't get closer than five the rest of the way.

Tibbs led Bellarmine with 10 points and nearly had a double-double after corralling nine rebounds. Junior guard Katie Downey had eight points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Junior forward Allison Van Dyke chipped in nine points. Harney had five assists against no turnovers.

Bellarmine hauled in 20 offensive rebounds, with Downey grabbing six, and forced Kentucky State into 21 turnovers, which helped the Knights attempt 17 more shots than the Thorobreds. Bellarmine struggled to capitalize on the extra opportunities, and KSU shot well enough at 42.6 percent to secure the win.

Bellarmine plays at 1 p.m. (ET) Wednesday at Grand Valley State.

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