LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University men's basketball team is wearing out the broom.

On Saturday in Freedom Hall, the Knights completed their fourth straight sweep of an ASUN opponent, using stifling defense to roll to a 63-44 victory over Jacksonville.

"We challenged them from last night until tonight about defense," said Knights Coach Scott Davenport, whose squad yielded its fewest amount of points in ASUN action. "Team defense won us the game."

And won it handily. In doing so, Bellarmine (11-5, 8-2 ASUN) racked up its eighth straight victory. The Knights remained in sole possession of first place in the league.

"We've said since the beginning," noted junior guard Juston Betz, "we're going to write a heck of a story."

"When you're motivated and there's an opportunity that presents itself," Davenport said, "amazing things can happen."

Junior guard Pedro Bradshaw capped a splendid weekend against Jacksonville (9-11, 3-7) with his second consecutive double-double and third in the last five games, this time accounting for game highs of 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists while shooting 6-for-9 from the field. Bradshaw amassed game highs in points, rebounds and assists in both games against the Dolphins.

Junior guard Dylan Penn supplied 12 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Four different players had at least three assists. Six different players grabbed four or more rebounds. Bradshaw also collected a game-high three steals, of which Bellarmine tallied nine.

Defensively, Bellarmine held Dontarius James, the ASUN's leading scorer, to no field goals and only two points. The Knights limited the Dolphins to 30 percent shooting, essentially that same mark in both halves. They also had a 37-30 rebounding advantage.

Bellarmine controlled the first half — and, for that matter, the entire game — behind its stingy defense. The Knights methodically built a 25-12 lead with less than less than eight minutes left in the first half after a pair of baskets by sophomore guard Bash Wieland. A 3-pointer by sophomore guard Alec Pfriem pushed the advantage to 15 en route to a 36-20 halftime edge.

Early in the second half, senior forward Ethan Claycomb stroked a 3-pointer as Bellarmine's lead spiked to 22. The advantage rose as high as 27.

"We didn't shoot great, but I know good basketball and when we stretched the lead in the second half, that was good basketball," Davenport said.

Bellarmine plays at North Florida on Friday and Saturday.

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