LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's basketball team had not experienced holding a sizable lead this season, and the Knights didn't quite know what to do with it Sunday afternoon in Freedom Hall.

The bottom line, though, was that Bellarmine never let it slip away.

After trailing by 25 points in the third quarter, Kennesaw State made a frantic comeback that forced the game to come down to the final possession before the Knights delivered a final defensive stand to preserve a 62-60 victory in ASUN action that marked their third straight win.

"They're a very close group, and they've been through so much this year," Knights Coach Chancellor Dugan said. "I'm proud of them. They're getting better every day."

Senior guard Tasia Jeffries recorded 11 points, eight rebounds and three steals for Bellarmine (3-10, 3-5 ASUN), which sealed its first D1 conference sweep. Junior guard Kathleen Scott notched 11 points, five rebounds and four assists against the Owls (5-7, 1-7), senior guard Breia Torrens chipped in 10 points and junior forward Danielle Feldkamp grabbed eight rebounds.

Amani Johnson wasn't far off a triple-double for Kennesaw State after posting 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. In fact, the Owls nearly had three double-doubles. Gabi Legister tallied 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Stacie Jones registered 10 rebounds and nine points.

Bellarmine trailed 14-13 after the first quarter, but the Knights took control with a 16-2 run in the second period in building a 30-19 halftime advantage. Bellarmine then blitzed the Owls with a 17-3 run to start the third quarter as the lead swelled to 25 with 15 minutes left in the game.

Kennesaw State built some momentum heading into the final quarter after finishing the third on a 15-5 run that closed the gap to 15. Jeffries nailed a 3-pointer to open the fourth, but the Owls kept coming, decreasing their deficit to nine with about five minutes left.

Bellarmine seemed to steady itself after a pair of baskets by senior forward Lauren Deel and a free throw by Scott pushed the lead back to 10 with 2:38 left, but Kennesaw State responded once again and Johnson's 3-pointer cut the Owls' deficit to 61-60 with nine seconds left.

Kennesaw State had a chance to tie or take the lead after Torrens hit 1-of-2 free throws with eight seconds left. However, Jah'Che Whitfield's 3-point attempt was long as the Knights pocketed their third win in a row.

"We just weren't aggressive in that fourth quarter. We weren't looking to score," Dugan said. "They put a lot of pressure on us, and we didn't do a good job of making free throws at the end. If we had made those, we wouldn't have had to dig in so hard, but I was proud of them for digging in."

Bellarmine is back on the road with contests Saturday and Sunday at Jacksonville.

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