LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine men's basketball team earned their third straight win with a 99-60 thumping of NAIA Midway Wednesday night at Knights Hall.
 
The three-game winning streak is the Knights' first since December 2022. At 4-4, Bellarmine is at .500 after eight games for the first time during their Division I era (since 2020-21). It is also their first time at .500 or better at any point in a season since they started the 2022-23 season 2-2.
 
The Knights are now 6-0 all-time against Midway. The game counted as an exhibition for the Eagles, who remain 3-5 on the season while competing in the River States Conference.
 
Michael Wilson Jr. scored a season-high, and Division I career-best, 20 points in just 19 minutes to lead all scorers. Brian Waddell added 13 points in a light 16 minutes of work as all 12 Knights who dressed played double-digit minutes and scored at least one field goal.
 
Despite the lopsided final score, Midway let it be known early that they were not intimidated while playing up a few levels in competition. The Eagles hit six of their first seven field goals en route to a 12-9 lead at the first media timeout.
 
Still, a few moments later with Bellarmine down 14-13, Waddell found Myles Watkins for a layup that would start a 16-0 run to put the Knights up 29-14. The teams would match each other with 16 points each from that point until halftime. Ten Knights scored in the first half, nine getting at least one bucket, as Bellarmine took a 45-30 lead into the break. Wilson led all scorers with 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting in and Waddell hit all four of his shots—three dunks and a layup.
 
Bellarmine did what it wanted to do in the second half: hit shots and not let the game get interesting. Midway would not get any closer than they were at halftime as the Knights' lead ballooned as high as 42 moments before the final horn.
 
The top shooting team in the ASUN, Bellarmine shot 60.3 percent, well above their season average of 50.8 percent.
 
The Knights' Grant Whitaker scored just six points, but recorded career highs with seven rebounds and six assists. Grant Neal (11 points) and Tommy Clark (10 points) each recorded career scoring highs. Myles Watkins also reached double digits with 11.
 
After letting Midway shoot 54.2 percent in the first half, Bellarmine put the clamps on Midway in the second, holding their visitors to 32.4 percent. Neither team shot well from deep—36.4 percent for Bellarmine and 33.3 percent for Midway—and the Knights won the battle in the paint 60-28.
 
Twelve of the 13 Eagles appearing in the game scored, led by Travontae Swift's nine.
 
ASUN leading scorer Jack Karasinski did not appear for Bellarmine for the second time this season. Additionally, Tyler Doyle missed his third straight game.
 
Bellarmine hits the road this weekend, but stays in the Bluegrass as they head west to face Murray State Saturday at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT).
 
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