ST. CHARLES, Mo.—The No. 1 Bellarmine Knights used a 22-6 run in the second half to pull away from the host Lindenwood Lions and post a 65-56 victory in a Great Lakes Valley Conference game in Hyland Arena on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Knights turned in a solid defensive performance, limiting the Lions to just 36 percent shooting while forcing 17 turnovers.  On the offensive end, Bellarmine heated up late in the game to finish at exactly 50 percent shooting (27-54) while converting seven of 13 treys. 
 
Bellarmine senior Ben Weyer led all scorers with 20 while sophomore Pedro Bradshaw pumped in a career-high 19 points while going 8-of-9 from the field and 3-for-3 at the free throw line. Lindenwood was paced by Cameron Scales, who hit 6-of-9 three pointers for 18 points.
 
After a tight opening eight minutes, Bellarmine got a lift off the bench from Chris Palombizio and Juston Betz, who spurred a 7-0 run that saw the Knights turn a 13-13 tie into a 20-13 advantage. The Lions came back quickly, however, draining back-to-back 3-pointers to trim the margin to just one.  Bellarmine kept a nose in front, though, and went into halftime leading 29-25.
 
In the early portion of the second half, the Lions managed to tie the game at 33 apiece, but they never inched in front as Bellarmine unleashed its 22-6 run to take control of the game. The Knights led by as many as 16, but Lindenwood was able to make the final margin nine by draining a pair of threes in the final 32 seconds of the game.
 
"I thought the first 16 minutes of the second half we were tremendous," said Bellarmine Coach Scott Davenport. "I didn't like the way we finished the game…but we shoot 55.6 in the second half and hold them to 33 percent, and they can really score the ball."  
 
Davenport attributed team defense to helping put the clamps on Lindenwood's T.J. Crockett, who entered the contest as the GLVC's leading scorer at 21.6 per game.  Today against the Knights, the 6-1 junior was limited to nine points on 2-of-12 shooting.
 
Bellarmine senior Alex Cook also had an off shooting night but found other ways to contribute by pacing the Knights in both rebounds and assists with seven and five respectively.  As a team, Bellarmine doled out 18 assists on 27 made baskets, but the Knights lost the battle of the backboards 32-29 as the Lions tracked down 10 of their 32 missed shots for offensive rebounds.
 
The Knights improve to 14-0 with the victory and maintain a one-game lead over Missouri-St. Louis and Truman State in the GLVC standings with a 7-0 record.  The Lions fall to 8-7, 2-5 GLVC. 
 
Bellarmine plays its third game in five days on Monday when the Knights welcome the 23rd-ranked Indianapolis Greyhounds for an 8 p.m. contest at Knights Hall.  The Greyhounds were upended 69-66 by UMSL today in a battle of top 25 teams.
 
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