The Bellarmine basketball program’s dream season has come to an end. Following their first-ever Division 1 postseason win over Army, Scotty Davenport’s team was looking for a trip to the semi-finals against Pepperdine. After putting up 50 points in the first half, the Knights collapsed in the second half and allowed Pepperdine to get back in the game and pulled off the win 82-71.
The 1st half might have been the best half of basketball Bellarmine has played since the 2nd half of game 2 against Stetson. The Knights exploded for 50 points in the opening 20 minutes of the game. As a team, they shot 64.5% from the field and 53.8% from behind the arc. Bellarmine used a balanced attack and entered the half up 50-41.
Bellarmine basketball began the 2nd half going back and forth and pushed the lead to 58-47 with 14:49 remaining and appeared to be on their way to the CBI Championship. However, things took a drastic turn as the Waves went on a 28-2 run over the next 8 minutes to completely shift the tide of the game. The Waves would coast the rest of the way to advance to their first CBI final.
Takeaways from Bellarmine basketball’s tough loss
This game was truly a tale of two halves. If the first half was Bellarmine’s best offensive half, the second half might’ve been their worst. The team shot 6/31 from the field and 2/9 from behind the arc in the 2nd. The Knights also had 6 of their shots blocked including 5 by Kessler Edwards. The Knights also turned the ball over 5 times. For a team that played so well all season, it’s a shame that their final game ended this way.
One positive for Bellarmine basketball was just how balance their scoring was. They had had four players in double figures on the night. Ethan Claycomb led the way with 16 followed by Pedro Bradshaw and CJ Fleming with 13. Dylan Penn added 12 points for the game.
Player of the Game
Kessler Edwards from Pepperdine has been arguably the best player in the CBI, not just for the Waves. After dropping 22 against Longwood in the quarterfinals, Edwards went for 28 against Bellarmine.
Edwards shot 10-15 from the field and 1-3 from three. He also was nearly perfect from the line going 7-8. He also added 7 rebounds and 2 assists. As good as he was offensively, he was equally as good on the defensive end. Edwards finished with a team-high 5 blocks and tied for the most steals with 3.
Next Opponent
The Knights first season at the Division I level has concluded with a 14-8 record. Despite this season being over, the Knights have given fans a lot of hope for the future that they will only get better when the 2021-22 season tips-off.
