LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Bellarmine Knights men's basketball team continues its ambitious 2021-22 schedule on Saturday night by traveling to Ohio Valley Conference perennial power Murray State for an 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CST) game against the Racers.
 
The Knights, who were picked to finish fourth in the ASUN preseason coaches poll, opened their 2021 regular season on Tuesday night, falling 96-67 to the seventh-ranked Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena.  CJ Fleming and Dylan Penn led the Bellarmine attack with 14 points apiece.
 
Murray also made its 2021-22 regular season debut on Tuesday, dispatching Cumberland (TN) 109-77 at the CFSB Center behind a career-high 32 points by KJ Williams and a 23-point effort from Tevin Brown.  Williams and Brown were named to the preseason All-OVC team this year, and the Racers were picked to finish third in the preseason poll.
 
Saturday's game marks the first time the two Kentucky universities have met on the hardwood for a regular season game.  However, the two have met in an exhibition contest--a 59-53 win by Murray in the 2005-06 season.  That game pitted Bellarmine Coach Scott Davenport against Mick Cronin for the first time. Cronin and Davenport were both part of Rick Pitino's staff at the University of Louisville prior to both becoming head coaches on their own. Cronin, who is currently the coach at UCLA, also coached against the Knights in several exhibitions when he was at the helm at Cincinnati. 
 
Following the Murray contest, the Knights face yet more stiff challenges with a trip to the West Coast where they'll play at Saint Mary's of California on Nov. 17 before taking on the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs at McCarthey Arena (aka "The Kennel") in Spokane, Washington on Nov 19. 

Bellarmine concludes the trip out west with a stop in Las Vegas where they'll tangle with Cronin's second-ranked UCLA Bruins on Nov. 22 and Central Michigan on Nov. 23.  The UCLA and Central Michigan games will be played at T-Mobile Arena as part of the Good Sam Empire Classic benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project presented by Continental Tire.
 
Bellarmine plays its first home contest on Sunday, Nov. 28 when the Knights host Franklin College at 3 p.m. in Freedom Hall.