KENNESAW, Ga. – The Bellarmine men's basketball team will look to build upon their first Atlantic Sun conference victory as they hit the road for their final multi-game swing away from Freedom Hall.

Kennesaw State (13-8, 4-3 ASUN) and Queens (8-14, 2-5 ASUN) loom as Bellarmine (5-17, 1-6 ASUN) surpasses the midway point of their 16-game conference schedule. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday in Kennesaw and 4 p.m. ET Saturday in Charlotte. ESPN+ and ESPN680 will have the live coverage.

The hot hands for Bellarmine heading into the road trip have been Bash Wieland and Langdon Hatton.

Wieland has achieved his new career high of 20 points twice in the past three games: Jan. 20 at Eastern Kentucky and this past Saturday at home against Jacksonville. The fifth-year senior is averaging 18.3 points in three games since returning from a broken left pinkie and shooting an even 50.0 percent from the field (73-for-146) on the season. He has elevated his scoring average to 12.9 points per game, tops on the team (without a minimum games requirement) and is also second on the team behind Hatton averaging 5.5 rebounds.

Like Wieland, Hatton also achieved his career high of 20 points recently. The junior forward's 20 came on 9-of-14 shooting on Jan. 25 against North Florida, the nine field goals also setting a career high. He is shooting 58.9 percent (33-for-56) from the field over his last six games (14.0 PPG) and is sixth in the ASUN averaging 6.9 rebounds.

For Wieland and Hatton to continue their hot streaks, they will have to endure the defending ASUN regular season champions, Kennesaw State.

"Kennesaw State has a veteran roster of four starters that were a valuable part of their tremendous ASUN championship run last spring," said Bellarmine head coach Scott Davenport. "Coach Pettway has done a tremendous job of capitalizing on the momentum. I have been very impressed with their leadership on and off the court."

The Owls were picked in the preseason to finish second in the ASUN by the media and fourth by the coaches. They currently find themselves tied for fourth in the league. Offense has been the key for the Owls as they are 18^th in the nation and tops in the ASUN as a team averaging 84.4 PPG, but 325^th in the nation in scoring defense at 79.0 PPG.

The energetic guard duo of Terrell Burden and Simeon Cottle lead the way for the Owls' powerful offense. Burden, a senior, is 10^th in the ASUN averaging 15.3 PPG and second with 5.9 assists per game. Cottle, a sophomore, is sixth in the conference averaging 16.9 PPG and 12^th averaging 3.0 APG. The Atlanta-area natives also get after it on the defensive end, both averaging 1.6 steals per game, tied for fifth in the conference.

"The backcourt of Burden and Cottle are as dynamic as any backcourt, any level," said Davenport.

In the frontcourt, Demond Robinson has been a force on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Murray State transfer is averaging 12.3 PPG, 20^th in the ASUN, and 2.9 offensive boards per game, third in the league. He is fourth in the ASUN averaging 7.2 rebounds and seventh with 1.1 blocks per game. At 6-foot-9, he is tied for the tallest player on KSU's roster.

BU and KSU have split their four previous meetings with each team going 2-0 on their opponents' home floor. The programs last met on Feb. 2, 2023, at Freedom Hall and went to double overtime before the KSU prevailed 90-84. Burden scored 27 points to lead the Owls, who outscored the Knights 13-7 in the second extra period. Peter Suder scored 24 points for the Knights on 10-of-12 shooting and Garrett Tipton added 19 points and four assists.

Following Thursday's game, the Knights will head four hours northeast to Charlotte for a Saturday tilt with Queens, a program who, like Bellarmine, recently moved up to Division I.

"Queens has quality wins against FGCU and Central Arkansas to help build their 7-2 record at home," said Davenport. "I can relate to being in year two of the DII to DI transition and the challenges that accompany that difficult task."

In their second Division II season, the Royals own nonconference home wins over High Point, Fairleigh Dickinson and Gardner-Webb. They are 2-1 in ASUN home games with the aforementioned wins and a loss to Stetson. They host ASUN leader Eastern Kentucky on Thursday before welcoming Bellarmine to Curry Arena on Saturday.

Starring for the Royals are another powerful guard duo, Deyton Albury and AJ McKee. Albury is second in the ASUN averaging 17.8 PPG and McKee is eighth at 16.6 PPG. They are also sixth and 12^th in the conference in field goal percentage, respectively. A junior college transfer, Albury was named this week's ASUN Newcomer of the Week after averaging 23.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 6.5 APG and 1.5 steals in the Royals' matchups at home against Central Arkansas and on the road at North Alabama.

"Queens has a quality roster and Albury and McKee lead the way with tremendous guard play," said Davenport.

Another junior guard, Chris Ashby, leads the Queens attack from outside. He is shooting 39.9 percent from deep, fourth in the ASUN, and averaging 10.0 PPG. Seven-footer Malcolm Wilson holds down the middle on the defensive end. He is fourth in the ASUN averaging 1.3 BPG.

Bellarmine is 1-1 all-time against Queens. Like the series with Kennesaw State, each team has won on the others' home floor. BU and Queens last met on Feb. 11, 2023, at Curry Arena when the Knights walked out 88-84 winners after trailing by six at halftime. Bellarmine shot 55.0 percent from three, led by Ben Johnson's 7-for-9 effort. He finished with a game-high 29 points and Tipton had 22.

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