Bellarmine basketball traveled down to Kennesaw, Georgia this weekend and swept the host Owls winning 84-67 in game 1 and 84-79 in game 2.
The Knights used an early run to get out in front and helped propel them to victory. Pedro Bradshaw led the team with 21 points on 9-13 shooting and 6 rebounds. Alec Pfriem came off the bench to score 21 points in 18 minutes of action.
Game 2 was a lot closer. Bellarmine built an early lead but Kennesaw State wouldn’t go away and kept battling. The Owls would take the lead in the 2nd half but the Knights quickly regained the lead. The game would go back and forth the rest of the way with neither team gaining much of an advantage. The Knights would gain the lead and knock down free throws down the stretch to edge out the host Owls. CJ Fleming led the Knights with 22 points.
Also relevant: How the ASun’s conference expansion impacts Bellarmine
Takeaways from Bellarmine basketball’s sweep
Despite losing their first two ASun games, Bellarmine has responded by sweeping their last three opponents. After North Alabama was upset by North Florida on Saturday, the Knights moved into a tie for first place in the conference.
For a team that was just competing in Division II’s Great Lakes Valley Conference a year ago, to be in first place halfway through the conference schedule is a testament to Coach Davenport and company.
Bellarmine has shown that they can compete with anyone in the conference and they will be a force to come for years to come.
While game 1 was more of a coasting effort for Bellarmine, game 2 was closer than a lot of people thought. The Knights were able to show that regardless of the type of game it is, they can still compete and pull off a victory.
Credit goes to the whole team for showing out when their number was called to help contribute to wins.
The Knights defense got after the Owls and totaled 19 steals over the two games. Fleming led the team with 6 steals (3 each game). Pedro Bradshaw added 5 steals including 3 in game 2 of the series. Ethan Claycomb also recorded a steal in both games against the Owls and 4 other Knights recorded at least one steal.
Bellarmine basketball’s player of the series
Pedro Bradshaw has been a star for the Knights lately and this weekend was no different. He averaged 20 points and 7 rebounds over the two game series. Bradshaw shot 58.8% from the field and 80% from the line.
What’s next for Bellarmine basketball
The Knights (9-5, 6-2 ASun) will return home to host the Jacksonville Dolphins (9-9, 3-5 ASun). The Dolphins are led by Dontarious James with 18.4 ppg and 4.3 rpg. The Dolphins have lost their last 5 games but all but one were within 6 points.
