BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's basketball team played an exhibition game Saturday afternoon at Division I Western Kentucky, falling 95-57 to the Lady Toppers at E.A. Diddle Arena.

Junior guard Katie Downey paced Bellarmine with 10 points and four assists. Dee Givens scored a game-high 22 points to lead five players in double figures for Western Kentucky (5-6), which was permitted to count the game against its record while it stood as an exhibition for the Knights.

Sophomore forward Lauren Deel registered nine points and four rebounds for Bellarmine while sophomore forward Taylor Hunter, in her first competitive action of the season, scored eight points in 12 minutes. Junior forward Mallory Schwartz chipped in five rebounds and four assists.

Bellarmine played a competitive first quarter against Western Kentucky, hitting eight of its 15 shots in trailing 24-18 after the period. Freshman guard Kathleen Scott and Hunter both drained 3-pointers in the frame.

With 5:27 left in the second quarter, Bellarmine was within 32-28 after Downey spotted Schwartz for a layup. The Lady Toppers took control at that point, ending the period on a 14-1 run to take a 46-29 lead at halftime. WKU would push the margin into the 20s in the third quarter.

WKU shot 55 percent. Bellarmine shot 42.1 percent but was very solid through three quarters.

Bellarmine plays next Saturday at Kentucky State.

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