LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The celebration didn't stop once the Senior Day ceremony ended.
But it didn't pick back up until the final buzzer sounded.
It was worth the wait.
On Wednesday night in Freedom Hall, four different players scored in double figures and a determined and disciplined Bellarmine University men's basketball team overcame a gargantuan free-throw discrepancy to outlast ASUN West rival Lipscomb 76-73.
The seniors were well aware that the team's last three Senior Nights had been spoiled by losses, including's last season's showdown with Liberty when an ASUN regular-season title was on the line, so the Knights were intent to change the script.
"All the guys sent us out the right way," said senior guard
CJ Fleming, who racked up a game-high 20 points. "We were doused by water in the locker room."
"It was really emotional, especially toward the beginning," said senior guard
Dylan Penn, who hit 8-of-10 shots while scoring 16 points. "It's something very special and something I'm always going to remember."
Although Bellarmine (17-12, 11-4 ASUN) has been exceptional on the road in ASUN action, the Knights had been struggling of late in Freedom Hall, dropping three consecutive games leading into the second contest of the season with Lipscomb (12-18, 5-10). Ironically, the last home win was also by the score of 76-73, an overtime thriller against Jacksonville almost exactly a month ago.
Sweeping Lipscomb was no easy task. While Bellarmine took a 15-point lead in the first half, the second stanza was close throughout — the Knights never lost their advantage, but they were also never able to pull away.
With 2:54 left, Lipscomb cut its deficit to one at 69-68. Following a steal by Penn, Fleming buried a tough step-back 3-pointer with just under two minutes remaining.
Bellarmine delivered four consecutive defensive stops, and after the last one, Fleming canned a free throw for a 73-68 lead with 23 seconds left. Lipscomb made good on a second-chance 3-pointer, but senior guard
Juston Betz knocked down a pair at the free-throw line with 11 seconds left to bump the advantage to 75-71.
After Lipscomb converted a drive, Betz sank the second of two free throws, giving the Bisons one last chance to tie with four seconds left. Greg Jones got a deep, tying 3-point attempt off, but Fleming greatly contested the shot, and it had no chance of finding the net.
Bellarmine had already sealed a first-round bye and quarterfinal home game in the ASUN Tournament. This has come in just the Knights' second year in Division I, but they admitted they have not been shocked by the immediate success after being a powerhouse in D2.
"We came here and were used to winning. We were never told by our coaches that it was OK to lose," said Betz, who registered 16 points.
Bellarmine shot 54.2 percent from the floor, and the Knights were particularly potent in the first half, when they shot 61.3 percent and sank half of their 12 3-point attempts. Bellarmine amassed 48 points in the paint, where nearly every Knight had success. Junior guard
Garrett Tipton was a fourth player in double figures with 13 points, while freshman forward
Curt Hopf was nearly a fifth after posting nine.
Lipscomb shot a solid 46.7 percent from the floor, but the Bisons also took full advantage of a massive difference in free-throw opportunities. Heading into the final minute, Lipscomb had attempted 26 free throws to a mere two attempts for Bellarmine, despite the seemingly physical play. The Knights finished with nine opportunities at the charity stripe after the Bisons deliberately put them there in the last minute.
"Sometimes you're put in tough situations," Penn said, "but you just have to go out there and continue playing basketball."
Bellarmine will conclude the regular season at 1 p.m. (ET) Saturday at Eastern Kentucky.
"To be able to go out with a bang, it was a nice Senior Night," Fleming said. "But we have a lot of work left to do."
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