Box Score

ROLLA, Mo. – A hot shooting day by the defending national champions was too much for Missouri S&T's men's basketball team Saturday afternoon, as No. 3-ranked Bellarmine shot 61.7 percent from the field to send the Miners to an 80-50 setback at Billy Key Court.

The Knights made 13 of their first 17 shots on the afternoon to build as much as a 21-point lead in the first half, finishing with a 65.4 percent shooting mark in the first 20 minutes of action.

After the teams traded baskets on their opening possessions, the Knights (13-1, 5-1 Great Lakes Valley Conference) made a quick 6-0 run to take the lead for good.  S&T was within four at 12-8 after a jumper by Carlton Westbrook (Centralia, Ill./Centralia) at the 14:49 mark, but Bellarmine scored 10 of the next 12 points to take a 10-point lead with 12:23 to go in the half.

The lead would begin to swell after the midway point of the half, as the Knights used a 13-2 spurt over a span of six minutes to take that 21-point lead at 41-20 with 3:54 to play.  The Miners trailed 45-26 at the half and could only get as close as 17 after the intermission.

Bellarmine finished the first half by shooting 65.4 percent from the floor and continued the hot shooting well into the second half before ending at the 61.7 percent mark.

The Miners had three players in double figures, led by Westbrook with 13 points.  Michael Jackson (Wichita, Kan./Wichita East) ended up with 11 points and four steals, while Bryce Foster (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) also reached double figures with 10 points.  S&T ended the day shooting 37 percent from the field.

All five starters for the Knights ended up in double figures, led by Keisten Jones with 19 points.  Bellarmine got 12 points from Chris Dowe and 10 assists from Braydon Hobbs.

The Miners, who ended a run of four games against teams ranked among the top 10 in NCAA Division II on Saturday, fell to 2-13 overall and 1-6 in the GLVC.  They will return to action Thursday when they play at Illinois Springfield in a 7:45 p.m. contest.