LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine University men's basketball team will look to get back into the win column this week after dropping back-to-back ASUN contests on the road, hosting Lipscomb and Eastern Kentucky in Knights Hall.

Bellarmine (11-15, 6-8 ASUN) will first welcome Lipscomb to Louisville on Wednesday night, February 18, playing the night cap of a men's and women's doubleheader at 7:30 pm E.T. The Knights will close out the short, two-game homestand on Saturday, February 21 against Eastern Kentucky at 7 pm E.T.

Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The radio broadcast of both games will be available on ESPN 680/105.7 or online at ESPNLouisville.com. Live stats will be available on the Bellarmine website.

On Saturday, Bellarmine will celebrate homecoming as well as celebrate the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championship team with a reunion and ceremony at the game. Saturday night will also be a black out as BU goes "Knight Mode." The game will feature a free, black Bellarmine t-shirt giveaway for fans seated in the lower sections of Knights Hall.

The Knights turned in their longest win streak since 2022, winning four straight games from January 28-February 7. The streak ended last Wednesday when BU clashed with a red-hot Central Arkansas team that had won eight straight entering the contest. On Saturday, Bellarmine's schedule didn't let up, pitting them against the ASUN leading Austin Peay Governors in Clarksville, where the Knights dropped their second game in a row.

Senior forward Jack Karasinski continued his impressive stretch of play, tallying 17 points at UCA and a new career-best 30 points at Austin Peay. Against the Governors, he went 10-of-18 from the field, making four of his six threes. Karasinski has netted 23+ points in three of his last four games and recorded double figures in seven consecutive contests. His 30 points on Saturday were the most by a single Knight since Billy Smith poured in 33 versus Ball State on December 14, 2024.

As a team, Bellarmine ranks fifth in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.516) and seventh in effective field goal percentage (.594), both of which are tops in the Atlantic Sun. The Knights also lead the conference in free throw percentage (.789), three-point percentage (.383) and fewest turnovers per game (10.5).

About the Bisons
Lipscomb is 16-11 and 9-5 in conference play. The Bisons currently sit fourth in the ASUN standings, three games ahead of the three-way tie for fifth place. In their last outing, Lipscomb dropped a tight battle with Queens 87-81. Lipscomb's last win came two games ago when the Bisons defeated Eastern Kentucky 75-61 at home, snapping a two-game losing streak. They are led by grad student Grant Asman, who scores 14.5 points per game while grabbing 6.1 rebounds a game, tied for sixth most in the league. Asman shoots it at a .520 clip and makes just under 39% of his three-point attempts. Four other Bisons are averaging double-digits this season in Ethan Duncan, Charlie Williams, Mateo Esmeraldo and Ross Candelino. As a team, Lipscomb leads the ASUN in assists per game (18.2), assist to turnover ratio (1.56) and fast break points per game (14.63). The Bisons shoot it well from beyond the arc, making 34% of their threes, third best rate in the conference.

Bellarmine and Lipscomb have met 10 times since the Knights joined the ASUN and Division I in 2020. Lipscomb owns an 8-2 advantage in the modern series. The Knights and Bisons also met six times in the Division II days, where Bellarmine held a 5-1 series lead from 1964-2000.

About the Colonels
Eastern Kentucky is 9-18 and 5-9 in ASUN play as we enter the final weeks of the regular season. The Colonels lost each of their last two games, both on the road, entering this week and will host West Georgia on Wednesday before traveling to Louisville for Saturday's contest. Sophomore Juan Cranford, Jr. leads the Colonels with 12.6 points per game. Grad student Montavious Myrick and senior Turner Buttry follow close behind as the only other Colonels to average double-digits, scoring 11.7 and 10.0 points per game, respectively. Freshman MJ Williams has been an assist machine for EKU recently, averaging 6.2 assists per game over the last six, recording 37 total while only turning the ball over nine times. As a team, Eastern Kentucky has struggled behind the arc, making just 28% of its threes in the last four games (35-for-124). Overall, the Colonels shoot 43% from the field and 34% from three. They lead the ASUN in three-point attempts per game (32.1) and in offensive rebounds per game (13.11).

Bellarmine and Eastern Kentucky have met 12 times previously, with the Colonels holding a 9-3 advantage in the series. EKU has won of the last six meetings, including once prior this season in Richmond (89-69 on Jan. 17).

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