LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University men's basketball team made its long-awaited home debut, and the Knights got reacquainted with the Freedom Hall crowd by delivering a vintage performance.

Following a lengthy West Coast trip that included contests against No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 UCLA, Bellarmine made the most of its return to the Knights' Louisville arena, shooting 56.5 percent in rolling to a 75-37 victory Sunday over Franklin.

"When you see them doing what you teach," Knights Coach Scott Davenport said, "that's very fulfilling."

Indeed, there was plenty to be satisfied about for Bellarmine (2-5), which won for the second straight game. It started with a defensive effort that produced the fewest points allowed in the Davenport era and second fewest in program history — the Knights allowed 36 against Louisville Municipal in their very first year in 1951.
 
Offensively, Bellarmine held a mammoth 64-10 advantage in points in the paint. The Knights shot 61.3 percent from the floor in the first half and 51.6 percent in the second half.

Scoring came from a variety of sources. Freshman forward Curt Hopf canned 7-of-8 shots in registering a game-high 14 points. Junior guard Garrett Tipton added 11 points while senior guards Juston Betz and CJ Fleming chipped in 10 apiece.

Betz set new career highs in rebounds (seven) and assists (six) and tied a career best with three steals. Fleming had four thefts and senior guard Dylan Penn dished out five assists as the Knights collected 16 helpers overall.

Bellarmine's offensive efficiency was matched by a stifling defensive performance. The Knights limited Franklin to 27.3 percent shooting, which encompassed less than 30 percent in both halves, and allowed only 16 points in the second stanza.

With 6:16 remaining in the first half, Franklin was hanging tight and within 23-19, but Bellarmine put the game away with an 18-2 run leading into halftime. Hopf, Fleming and Tipton combined to go 12-for-14 before the break, and the Knights commanded the paint from the outset, outscoring Franklin 32-4 in that area in the first half.

"Our theory today was continue to grow," Davenport said. "I'm proud of them. They played Bellarmine basketball."

Another formidable challenge awaits Bellarmine as the Knights will play at 7 p.m. (ET) Tuesday at West Virginia.

"We want to measure how much we've grown," Davenport said. "We'll embrace this opportunity."

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