ROLLA, Mo. – Despite playing one of its better games of the season, the nation's second-ranked team just had a little more firepower than Missouri S&T's men's basketball team Sunday as Bellarmine took an 87-73 decision from the Miners at Billy Key Court.

The Miners shot just under the 50 percent mark from the floor, made 10 shots from three-point range and turned the ball over only 10 times for the contest. However, the Knights posted better numbers in each of those categories, connecting on 54.5 percent of their shots, making 12 treys and committing only nine turnovers as they won for the 13^th consecutive time and stayed perfect in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Bellarmine ran out to a 16-point lead in the first 10 minutes of play, hitting five three-pointers in that stretch with the last of them coming from Keisten Jones to give it a 26-10 lead. The Knights maintained their double-digit advantage until the final two-plus minutes of the half, as the Miners cut the lead to nine on a jumper by Tommy Pelczynski (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) with 2:14 to go and then to seven just before the half ended on a pair of free throws by Carlton Westbrook (Centralia, Ill./Centralia).

S&T moved to within six on three different occasions early in the second half, the last at 49-43 on a lay-in by Pelczynski at the 17:19 mark. The Miners were able to keep the margin within 10 points over the next five minutes, until Justin Benedetti knocked down a three-pointer to start a seven-point to push the lead out to 15.

Missouri S&T got the lead down to 10 one more time after Westbrook hit a pair of free throws with 4:35 to play, but the Knights would push it back out to as much as 18 before the Miners trimmed it to the final margin of 14 in the final moments.

Pelczynski and Bryce Foster (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) each scored 20 for the Miners, with Pelczynski reaching a career high with his output Sunday and Foster getting to the 20-point mark for the third consecutive game. The two combined to go 17-of-34 from the floor and made six of S&T's 10 three-pointers in the game.

Bellarmine (21-1, 14-0 GLVC) had four players in double figures with Luke Sprague leading the way with 20 points. Jeremy Kendle had 17 points and nine assists for the Knights, while Benedetti finished with 16 and Braydon Hobbs with 13. The Knights had a six-rebound edge on the Miners in the game of 32-26.

The Miners (6-15, 2-12 GLVC) return to action Thursday when they face Maryville University in St. Louis. Game time is at 7:30 p.m.