LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Missouri S&T's men's basketball team – like many others this season – struggled to slow down the top shooting team in the nation Saturday afternoon as No. 1-ranked Bellarmine handed the Miners a 91-60 Great Lakes Valley Conference setback at Knights Hall.
The Knights (18-0, 9-0 GLVC), who lead NCAA Division II in field goal percentage, connected on 58.5 percent of their field goal attempts in the contest as they went over the 50 percent mark for the 15
th time in 18 games. Bellarmine's hot hand in the first half, particularly from long range, allowed it to build a 22-point lead by halftime.
After the teams swapped baskets to open the scoring, the Knights scored the next six points to take the lead before baskets by
CJ Hedgepeth (Evansville, IN/Harrison) and
Romain Louiserre (La Ferte Alais, France/Fredrick Fays) cut that lead to two. However, Bellarmine went on a 14-2 run to extend its lead to 22-8 by the 12:03 mark of the half.
Mitch Fairless (St. Charles, MO/Duchesne) scored the only Miner basket in that stretch that made it 15-8, but the Knights answered with three-pointers from Parker Chitty and Tyler Jenkins to push the lead into double figures.
The Miners (3-14, 1-8 GLVC) shot just 33.8 percent on the afternoon, but got a double-double from
Jalen Myers (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) – the first of his S&T career – as he recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds. Myers hit four of the Miners' eight three-point baskets in the contest.
Hedgepeth added 13 points for S&T and
Dulan Scott (Chicago, IL/Farragut Academy) was also in double figures with 10.
Bellarmine's All-America forward, Adam Eberhard, led all scorers along with Alex Cook with 18 points. The Knights also made eight three-pointers in the contest.
The Miners will open a five-game homestand Thursday when they host Truman State in a 7:30 p.m. contest at Gibson Arena.
