LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine men's basketball team completes their home nonconference schedule against Ball State this Saturday, December 14 at 3 p.m. ET inside Knights Hall.
 
Live coverage will be carried by ESPN+ and ESPN 680.
 
About Ball State
Ball State enters Saturday on a two-game skid with an overall record of 3-6. Their toughest opponent to date has been Dayton (No. 38 in the NET rankings), who beat them 77-69 at UD Arena. Their lone win over a Division I opponent was a 63-61 triumph over Bellarmine rival Eastern Kentucky on a neutral floor on November 25. Six-foot-10 center Payton Sparks gave the Cardinals the lead with an old-fashioned three-point play with 15 seconds left to lift BSU. The senior from Winchester, Ind., just a half-hour drive from Muncie, started as a freshman and sophomore at Ball State, leading the team in rebounding both years while leading the team in scoring once and finishing second in the other. He was the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2022, but later transferred to Indiana for his junior season where he received significantly less playing time. He returned to Ball State this season and is averaging 7.8 points (fourth on the team) and 4.6 rebounds (third).
 
The Cardinals are led in scoring by guard Jermahri Hill (16.2 PPG), a junior college transfer playing his first season at Division I. Hill also leads BSU averaging 2.4 assists. He scored 18 in the win over EKU and does most of his damage inside the arc as he is just 3-for-27 from three on the season. The Cardinals' biggest threat from deep is junior guard Juanse Gorosito, who is tops in the MAC and 20^th nationally with his 48.2 three-point percentage (27-for-56) and averages 10.1 points. Redshirt senior forward Mickey Pearson Jr., a product of nearby John Hardin High School, leads the team averaging 6.8 rebounds and is second averaging 11.3 points. Rounding out the usual starting five is guard Ethan Brittain-Watts, a grad transfer from Boston University who is second on the team averaging 2.3 assists.
 
Davenport on the Cardinals
"Any team coached by Michael Lewis will be ferociously competitive for 40 minutes. This Ball State team is no different. What makes them tough is quality depth and balance inside and out. A veteran line up starting three seniors and two juniors always presents problems. Coming off final exams, which ended on Thursday, we are looking forward to total focus on being Bellarmine!" –Head coach Scott Davenport
 
Versus Ball State
Ball State won the only previous matchup between the programs last December in Muncie, 67-58. Pearson Jr., the only returning starter for either team from that game, scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds. Only guards Billy Smith and Dezmond McKinney remain among Knights who appeared in that game. Bellarmine is 4-2 against MAC opponents since joining Division I and defeated Bowling Green on 80-68 on November 23 in Knights Hall.
 
Last Time Out
Bellarmine sank 22 three-pointers as they defeated NAIA Brescia 94-66 on Saturday at Knights Hall. They were the most threes by the Knights since they drained a program-record 23 on December 4, 2022 against Alice Lloyd in a 110-38 win. BU finished with a program-record 49 3FGA and set the season-high number of 32 with more than 13 minutes left in the game. The previous record was 47 in an 86-51 win December 9, 2013 versus West Virginia Tech.
 
Career Day
Junior Landin Hacker hit a career-high seven three-point field goals in 11 attempts for a career-high 21 points against Brescia. The seven threes were the most by a Knight since Ben Johnson hit a BU Division I era record nine in the previously mentioned game against Alice Lloyd during the 2022-23 season. Hacker's previous season-high was five points on November 9 against VMI. His previous career high was 13 on January 2, 2023 at North Alabama.
 
The Road Ahead
Bellarmine ventures west for a pair of games at Wyoming (Thursday) and at Colorado (Saturday) next week to close their nonconference schedule. The Knights then have an 11-day layoff until opening ASUN play on January 2 at North Alabama. That game will be followed two days later by a tilt at Central Arkansas before the Knights' ASUN home opener against Jacksonville on January 9.
 
Camper Knight
Saturday's game will serve as the team's annual Camper Knight. The promotion provides free admission to all students. Parents may claim their child's/children's free tickets by submitting a request form here. The deadline to claim tickets is 12 p.m. ET on Friday, December 13. Kids will be seated in the student section bleachers in the end zone. Parent tickets may be purchased separately in the same section here or in regular reserved seats elsewhere in Knights Hall here. Campers are encouraged to wear their official Bellarmine Basketball Camp T-shirts to the game.
 
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