LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Exactly one year ago, the Bellarmine Knights men's basketball team was prepping to face ASUN Conference foe North Alabama in Florence, Alabama. Flip the calendar to 2022 and the Knights are doing the exact same thing.
 
Last Feb. 12, the Knights took a 66-64 decision from the Lions in Flowers Hall, then increased that two-point margin to 24 as the same two teams met the following day due to the ASUN's altered COVID schedule. 
 
This year, Bellarmine's two games against the Lions will follow a more traditional approach:  a home and home series.  The Knights hosted UNA in Freedom Hall on Jan. 18, earning a 68-60 victory behind a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) from Juston Betz.  That game played out similar to Bellarmine's last outing—building a big lead, then holding off a second half comeback.
 
In the earlier UNA game, the Knights took a 35-22 lead into the locker room at halftime after nailing six of 11 triples.  Bellarmine extended the advantage to 20 early in the second period, but the Knights' shooting cooled off while the Lions heated up.  North Alabama trimmed the lead to just four with 1:37 to play but the Knights went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final minute to secure the win.
 
The Lions' Daniel Ortiz hit four of nine treys and paced UNA in the first meeting with 15 points, and he enters Saturday's contest the team's leading scorer at 12 points a game.
 
Dylan Penn tossed in 20 points to lead the Knights in the first game, and the senior from Evansville, Indiana enters tomorrow's game Bellarmine's leading scorer, averaging 16.6 per contest.  He also dishes out a team-high five assists a game.  CJ Fleming has had the hot hand of late for the Knights.  In the seven games since the first meeting with UNA, the Cincinnati native is averaging 21 points a game and just over three and a half triples per contest.
 
Saturday's game marks the ASUN's return to divisional play, and Bellarmine's final five regular season games will come against West Division foes:  UNA, Central Arkansas, Jacksonville State, Lipscomb and Eastern Kentucky.
 
Bellarmine is 14-11 overall and is second place in the division with an 8-3 league record.  North Alabama is 9-15 overall and 2-9 in ASUN play.
 
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