Bellarmine basketball returned to Freedom Hall to take on the Jacksonville Dolphins and pulled off its 4th straight series sweep to move to first place in the conference.
On Friday night, Bellarmine basketball used a strong start to the game after getting behind in the early minutes to build a lead. The 2nd half was pretty evenly matched as the Knights prevailed 71-56.
Game two was an even more impressive showing for the Knights as they took down the Dolphins, 63-44. The 44 points were the fewest the Knights have allowed against a Division I opponent. Even more impressive, the team held Dontarious James- who entered the weekend as the ASun’s leading scorer- to just 2 points.
Takeaways
Winning is nothing new to Scott Davenport. However, even he is impressed with the Bellarmine basketball performance. While the season isn’t over yet, it is safe to say they have exceeded expectations. As the standings currently stand, the teams they have beaten are ranked near the bottom of the ASUN. Still, for BU to be playing as well as they are with a “Division II” roster is nothing short of impressive.
The defense was once again a strong point for Bellarmine. The Knights held Jacksonville to just 37 percent shooting for the weekend and only 25 percent from three-point range.
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They also forced 16 steals over the two games. Ethan Claycomb and Pedro Bradshaw each had a 3 steal game in the series. The Knights also blocked 6 shots over the weekend with half coming from Claycomb.
Conference standings update
After sweeping Jacksonville, North Alabama dropped both games against FGCU. This means Bellarmine has moved into sole possession of first place in ASUN.
Liberty played a nonconference game after COVID complications with UNF. Although the schedule doesn’t get any easier, if Bellarmine basketball can pull off a regular-season conference championship in year one, it would be a huge achievement for Davenport and company.
Bellarmine basketball player of the week
Pedro Bradshaw continued his hot streak by notching two double-doubles against the Dolphins. In game one, Bradshaw finished with 24 points on 10-16 shooting with 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
In game two, he finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assist. The ASUN named Bradshaw conference player of the week on Monday.
Next Opponent
Bellarmine was scheduled to travel to North Florida. However, the Ospreys are currently on COVID pause. At the moment it is not known if the games will take place as scheduled.
Stay locked in to stateoflouisville.com to stay up-to-date on the Bellarmine schedule.
