LOUISVILLE, Ky.—On paper it's a 21-point win, but for the No. 9 Bellarmine Knights, Saturday's 95-74 victory over McKendree in Knights Hall seemed to signal to themselves and their fans that the ship has been righted.
 
After dropping three games in a row for the first time since 2014, the Knights returned to their winning ways on Thursday, but did so in a fashion that wasn't typical, meaning they had more turnovers than assists and didn't shoot the ball particularly well.
 
Today, Bellarmine looked a lot more like the team that started the season 18-0.  Although two starters (Chivarsky Corbett and Daniel Ramser) were still out with injuries, the Knights scorched the nets with 65 percent shooting set up by crisp passing that led to 25 assists on 39 baskets. And, they took care of the ball, making just eight turnovers.
 
For the second game in a row, junior Ben Weyer set a new career-high.  Against McKendree today, he posted a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds after going for 23 points and nine rebounds against Illinois Springfield on Thursday.
 
Weyer's three-point touch was on display against the Beacats, as the 6-7 forward drained five of nine triples and made 10 of 14 total field goals. In fact, the only struggles he had today was when nobody was guarding him.  An 80 percent free throw shooter on the season, Weyer made just one of four from the charity stripe today.
 
For Coach Scott Davenport, today's win wasn't about individual success. He was happy for the program as a whole. "Each and every guy on that basketball team, from the five managers to the assistants to the trainers to the players…when everybody wants the same thing and they're willing to work for it, it's incredible.  And that's what we had today," Davenport said. "It was obvious from the time the game started.  This team today…the 25 assists and shooting 65 percent…this was much more about team and program than it was about individuals."
 
In today's game, the team effort was evident from the opening tip as the Knights led wire to wire. CJ Fleming drained a triple to open the game's scoring 30 seconds into the game, and Bellarmine never trailed.
 
Although the Bearcats continued their hot shooting from 3-point land, the Knights were able to lead comfortably throughout the game with the largest lead coming when Parker Chitty's free throw gave Bellarmine a 73-46 advantage with 11:15 remaining.
 
After hitting 18 of 34 trifectas against Southern Indiana on Thursday, McKendree drained 15 of 30 treys against the Knights today. However, the Knights more than made up for the good long-range shooting by outscoring the Bearcats 54-16 in points in the paint.  Bellarmine also exploited the McKendree turnovers to the tune of a 20-11 advantage on points off turnovers.
 
Bellarmine got solid production from up and down the lineup.  In addition to Weyers' solid play, Adam Eberhard added 15 points and four assists while Alex Cook contributed 11 points and five rebounds, including a highlight-reel dunk on a breakaway. Dylan Penn posted his second perfect shooting night in a row, draining four of four field goals, including his first collegiate 3-pointer to finish with nine points.
 
Other top contributions for the Knights included Ethan Claycomb's three assists and two offensive rebounds in just four minutes of action, and Chitty's six assists in 20 minutes of court time.
 
Bellarmine improves to 20-3 on the season and 11-3 in GLVC play. With win number 20, the Knights extend their streak of 20+ wins to 11 seasons.
 
McKendree, which was led by Logan Kohrmann's 18 points, falls to 9-15 overall and 5-10 in conference action.
 
Bellarmine closes out its home regular season with games against Indianapolis and Lewis on Thursday and Saturday.
 
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