LOUISVILLE, Ky.--The Bellarmine Knights men's basketball team returns to historic Freedom Hall to host Jacksonville in ASUN Conference games on Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (5 p.m.)
 
The Knights (9-5) enter the weekend with considerable momentum having won their last six contests to tie for first in the ASUN standings at 6-2.  Conversely, the Dolphins (9-9) have dropped five in a row, and after posting victories in their first three league games now stand at 3-5 in conference play.
 
Jacksonville is paced by Xavier transfer Dontarius James, who enters the week as the ASUN leading scorer at 18.4 points per game.  The 6-8 forward has already earned three ASUN Newcomer of the Week Awards as well as an ASUN Player of the Week accolade.
 
A big reason for the Dolphins' recent skid could be attributed to the absence of Kevion Nolan in the JU lineup.  The 6-2 guard was putting up just over 16 points a game when he suffered an injury in the Jan. 22 overtime loss at North Alabama.  His status for Bellarmine has not been determined.
 
Jacksonville Coach Tony Jasick still has plenty of firepower left in his lineup.  Tyreese Davis, a 6-6 redshirt sophomore is averaging 11.4 points a game while 6-7 junior Bryce Workman adds 10.1 points and leads the Dolphins in rebounding at 6.3 per game. Sophomore guard Mo Arnold is the leading assist man for JU while adding 7.1 points and 5.4 rebounds to his average stat line.
 
Bellarmine, meanwhile, counters with a lineup that has featured seven different players lead the team in scoring over the first 14 games.  Pedro Bradshaw heads a quartet of double-digit scorers for the Knights with a 14.3 average, followed by CJ Fleming (12.3 ppg), Dylan Penn (12.2 ppg) and Ethan Claycomb (11.1 ppg). 
 
The six-game win streak is the longest current streak in the ASUN, and the Knights enter the weekend leading the league in several statistical categories including field goal shooting (51.6%), assists (16/game), and turnover margin (+3.71).
 
Game coverage inlcudes ESPN+ broadcasts with Nick Curran and former Knight Forrest Smallwood as well as radio on 93.9 The Ville with Doug Ormay and Mark Bugg on the call.