Bellarmine basketball did not draw an easy opponent for its Division I debut at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Bellarmine basketball made its Division I debut and quickly learned that Division I is a lot different than Division II. Taking on the no. 6 team in the nation in your first game is never an easy task. However, the Knights kept fighting until the very end, holding strong in a 76-54 loss.
Duke came out running and built an early lead. True freshman Jaemyn Brakefield came off the bench to nail three 3 pointers to give Duke an early 15-2 lead. After coming out cold, Bellarmine basketball was able to get back in the game by attacking the paint and getting easy layups. Ethan Claycomb’s layup with 2:35 remaining in the first cut the deficit to three points, but that was the closest the Knights would be as the Blue Devils ended the half on a 7-0 run to enter the half up 35-25
Duke continued to carry its momentum from the first half and expanded its lead. Matthew Hurt and Brakefield continued to be lethal from behind the arc and the lead was ultimately insurmountable. The Knights continued to fight but Duke’s size advantage led to a 38-27 rebound advantage. Duke also was able to get hot from behind the arc, connecting on 50 percent of its three-point attempts. Duke made more three-pointers (13) than the Knights attempted (9).
Key takeaways
Not much went well for the Knights, but sophomore Nick Thelen was a bright spot in the lineup. Thelen led the Knights with 14 points on 7-9 shooting. His post presence was key to keeping Bellarmine in the game for longer than most expected. Thelen looks like he might be the full-time starter going forward.
The Knights were without senior CJ Fleming due to unforeseen circumstances. I don’t know how much of a difference he would have made against an opponent like Duke, but Bellarmine will certainly welcome back its senior leader. Ethan Claycomb-the lone senior to play-was 2nd on the team with 13 points on 5-7 shooting including 1-1 from behind the arc.
The Knights’ main weakness in the game was rebounding. The Knights lack the size to compete with Duke and will likely continue to go with a small ball lineup for this season. With that said, Pedro Bradshaw led the team with 7 rebounds. Dylan Penn led the team with offensive rebounds with 3.
Player of the Game
Duke’s Matthew Hurt was easily the player of the game and will be a force this season for the Blue Devils. Hurt finished with 24 points on 9-12 shooting (6-8 from three) and was too much for the Knights to handle all day. Hurt also finished with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and a steal.
Next Opponent
Bellarmine (0-1) will travel to the nation’s capital to take on Howard (0-3) Sunday at 6. Fans can watch the game on ESPN+ or listen on 93.9 The Ville.
Great article! Go Knights !!