LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Everything went right for the Bellarmine men's basketball team in the first half Wednesday night at Freedom Hall, but the same fortune did not carry over to the second stanza as Stetson walked out 84-77 victors over the Knights.
 
Bellarmine (6-19, 2-8 ASUN) led 49-38 at intermission behind 18 points from Ben Johnson. The sophomore guard poured in four of the Knights' seven treys in the first half. They shot 65.6 percent and had 17 assists, including five each for senior guard Bash Wieland and junior guard Dezmond McKinney, to just one turnover.
 
A layup by Billy Smith with 6:50 left capped a 14-2 run to en route to the 11-point halftime lead. The 49 points were the most by the Knights in a half since scoring 50 in the first half against an overmatched Berea on Dec. 7.
 
Stetson (15-10, 7-3 ASUN), however, flaunts the ASUN's leading scorer in Jalen Blackmon. After being locked down to the tune of just three first-half points, Blackmon exploded for 23 points in the second half, including seven threes. His final two treys came on back-to-back possessions inside the final 61 seconds to expand the Hatters' lead to three and six, respectively. He finished 9-of-18 from the field, 8-of-14 from deep.
 
A layup by Stephan Swenson with 11 seconds left put the Hatters up seven to ice the game as the Hatters outscored the Knights 46-28 in the second half.
 
Johnson finished with 28 points on 11-of-22 shooting (6-of-15 from three), his highest mark in ASUN play. Wieland finished with 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting and six assists.
 
Junior forward Langdon Hatton and sophomore guard Peter Suder each finished with 10 points. Hatton grabbed seven rebounds and Suder handed out seven assists.
 
The Knights are back in action against another Florida foe on Saturday in Ft. Myers. They take on Florida Gulf Coast at 7 p.m. ET. ESPN+ and ESPN680 will carry the live coverage.
 
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