LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Bellarmine University men's basketball team picked up its first win of the season Wednesday night, using a strong first-half performance to defeat Franklin College 99-82 at Knights Hall.
Bellarmine (1-3) came out firing, building an early lead and carrying a 55-25 advantage into halftime. The Knights shot 60% from the field in the opening half, including 5-of-11 from 3-point range, while holding Franklin (0-2) to 26.9% shooting.
The Grizzlies tallied 57 points in the second half, but Bellarmine maintained control throughout the remainder of the contest. The Knights shot 46.2% from the field after halftime and converted 31 of 38 free-throw attempts to secure 99-82 victory.
Redshirt sophomore
Grant Neal had a career night earning collegiate highs in points with 14, rebounds with eight and made free throws with 10. Six Knights finished in double figures, led by Neal and
Julius Gizzi with 14 points apiece.
Sam Donald added 12 points, while
Tyler Doyle,
Evan Harrell and
Jacob Wassler each contributed 11.
Bellarmine finished the night shooting 55.8% from the field and 83.3% from the free-throw line. The Knights also held a 42-26 advantage in rebounds and received 56 points from their bench. Franklin was led by Justin Harrington, who scored 24 points.
Bellarmine will be back in action on Saturday, November 14 with a mid-afternoon contest against Northern Illinois. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. ET at Knights Hall with the game to be available to stream on ESPN+.
