LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The start of competition against ASUN East Division opponents bring an end to a home-heavy stretch for the Bellarmine University women's basketball team.
The Knights (3-13, 0-5 ASUN) will close out a segment playing four of five games in Freedom Hall by welcoming Jacksonville (9-6, 2-2) for a 2 p.m. (ET) contest Saturday. After playing its five West Division counterparts, Bellarmine begins a string of six consecutive clashes with East opponents when it faces the Dolphins.
Jacksonville is coming off a loss, but the Dolphins' 49-48 setback Wednesday at Liberty was an attention-grabber. JU nearly pulled off a stunning upset on the road of a team that is now 16-2. The Dolphins held the lead with 21 seconds left after a basket by Asiah Jones, but Liberty answered with its own go-ahead bucket. Jacksonville hoisted two shots on its final possession but could not manage to sink the game-winner.
In its previous game, Bellarmine dealt with one of the ASUN's most potent offensive teams in North Alabama. The Knights are now charged with trying to crack one of the conference's best defensive units. The 55.8 points per game Jacksonville allows is the second-stingiest mark in the league. Teams are shooting just 35.3 percent against the Dolphins, which also ranks second in the ASUN. JU excels at creating turnovers, boasting a conference-best mark of 11.9 steals per game with three players ranked in the top 9 in the league.
From a scoring standpoint, Jacksonville leans on balance. Taylor Hawks is the lone double-figure point producer (10.7), but DeShari Graham (9.7) and Shynia Jackson (9.5) are right in the vicinity. Seven players have amassed 14 steals or more, and four of those are at 21 or more.
Last season, Bellarmine and Jacksonville squared off on consecutive days in Florida. The Knights captured the first game 75-71 in overtime — running a season-best winning streak to four — before the Dolphins secured the finale 71-65.
While Bellarmine is still seeking its first conference win,
Bailee Harney continues to be a bright spot in ASUN play. The senior guard has led the Knights in scoring in three of the last four games and has scored in double figures in four of the team's five league contests. She's averaging 14.0 points per game in conference action, which is nearly five more than the next Knight.
Kathleen Scott continued her season-long excellence from the free-throw line Wednesday against North Alabama. The senior guard went 7-for-7 from the charity stripe, boosting her percentage to an ASUN-best 90.7.
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