Bellarmine basketball plays host to one of the biggest games in school history on Saturday when it hosts Liberty in Freedom Hall.
When the ASUN changed the schedule for the season, very few people would have pegged the Bellarmine basketball series with Liberty as the one that would decide the conference regular-season championship.
Both teams enter with an identical 10-2 conference record and will only play one game this weekend instead of the usual two. When the schedule was initially released, the Flames were set to host in Lynchburg, VA. However, COVID has caused a lot of schedule changes to accommodate the conference members.
Unlike previous games, which required an ESPN+ subscription, this game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.
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Fans can also purchase tickets on Ticketmaster for their game and thanks to an anonymous donor, parking will be free for this game only.
The game will take place at Freedom Hall on Saturday at noon.
How the two teams got here are very different. Bellarmine was picked to finish last in the media poll and 8th in the coaches poll. However, they have since gone 13-5 on the season. Liberty was picked 2nd in both and are 19-5. Bellarmine is in its first year of Division I play, whereas Liberty was set to appear in their 2nd straight NCAA Tournament last year before the cancellation.
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Who: Liberty at Bellarmine
When: February 27th, 2021 at 12:00PM ET
Where: Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
TV: ESPNU
Radio: 93.9 FM in Louisville
What’s at stake: The ASUN regular season title
The matchup could also ultimately decide who takes home the ASUN Player of the Year award. Bellarmine’s Pedro Bradshaw and Liberty’s Darius McGhee have had arguably the two best seasons by an ASUN player and are part of the reason their teams are in this situation.
Pedro Bradshaw leads the Knights with a team-high in points (15.4 ppg), Rebounds (7.3 rpg), and steals (1.5 spg). He is also shooting 52.7% from the field and is 2nd in assists with 2.8 per game.
McGhee leads the Flames with a team high 14.8 ppg. He is also shooting 45.1% from the field and is second on the team with 4.3 rpg.
Predictions
Spencer Brown: Bellarmine 73, Liberty 71
Presley Meyer: Bellarmine 66, Liberty 60
Jacob Lane: Bellarmine 67, Liberty 78
