LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jack Karasinski became the D1-era scoring king of the Bellarmine University men's basketball team.

But it took the collective effort of the king and his army to pull off Saturday's epic 111-97 win over Atlantic Sun Conference leader Austin Peay in the regular-season finale in Knights Hall.

Facing a seemingly impenetrable defense, Bellarmine (12-18, 7-11 ASUN) piled up its most points in regulation time of the year — its season-high 114 points against North Florida included 12 points in overtime — and it came against the ASUN's shrewdest defensive unit, which entered allowing 71.7 points per game.

Bellarmine sizzled from the floor in both halves and shot 59.7 percent for the game. The Knights hit at a rate of 56.3 percent in the first half and a clip of 63.3 percent in the second stanza. They racked up 22 assists against only 11 turnovers and nearly half their points came in the paint (54).

Considering the opponent's defensive pedigree, Karasinski perhaps delivered the offensive masterwork of his standout career. His two seasons at Bellarmine have been filled with notable outings, but his performance Saturday against the Governors (21-8, 15-3) was simply transcendent.

Karasinski's 38-point outburst matched the D1-era program record of Dylan Penn (2021-22 vs. Central Arkansas). The senior forward connected on 13 of his 16 attempts from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. He scored 18 points in the first half and followed with 20 more in the second half, when he missed a single shot.

On Karasinski's 11th point, he became Bellarmine's D1-era leader in career points. He certainly didn't stop there, padding his current total to 965 in a Knights uniform. Karasinski has played possessed down the stretch, cracking the 30-point plateau in three of the last five games and recording a minimum of 23 points in each outing.

As far as career nights, he wasn't alone. Sophomore guard Tyler Doyle amassed a career-high 24 points, including 15 in the second half. And senior forward Brian Waddell made it a three-headed scoring monster for Bellarmine with 21 points. Freshman forward Sam Donald was a fourth Knight in double figures with 10 points while tying a game high with eight rebounds.

Bellarmine led by 10 points on multiple occasions in the first half, but the Knights had a slim 48-46 advantage at halftime. The teams largely continued trading baskets in the second half, with neither leading by more than six points over the first 14 minutes.

Bellarmine made its move as the clock descended under six minutes. The Knights put together a pivotal 9-4 run to lead by 10 with 3:28 left as freshman center Jacob Wassler began the late surge with a tip-in, and Doyle bookended a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer around a layup from Karasinski.

Karasinski then followed his old-fashioned three-point play with a shot from deep that served as the dagger. It inflated Bellarmine's lead to 13 with 2:35 left.

The postgame celebration followed pregame festivities that included the honoring of Karasinski, Waddell, Myles Watkins and Darrius Bolden on Senior Day.

The ASUN is expected to officially announce the ASUN Tournament field tonight. The Knights will be playing in the first round on March 4 in Jacksonville.

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