By GREG MENGELT
Bellarmine, which had clinched a first-round bye in the Atlantic Sun Tournament prior to Wednesday’s victory, won for the fourth time in its last five games to improve to 17-12 overall and 11-4 in conference play. The Knights trail Jacksonville State by a game in the A-Sun West with a game to go. Bellarmine will go to Eastern Kentucky (12-17, 4-11) to face the sixth-place Colonels, while Jacksonville State (19-9, 12-3) closes at home with last-place North Alabama (9-19, 2-13) on Saturday.
Bellarmine shot 54 percent from the field (32 for 59) and held off a late Bisons charge. Lipscomb junior Greg Jones made two free throws that cut the Bellarmine lead to 69-68 with 2:54 left. Bellarmine senior CJ Fleming (Cincinnati) hit a big 3 with 1:47 that put the Knights up 72-68. A Jones 3 with 13 seconds left narrowed the gap to 73-71, but Knights senior Juston Betz — a former Providence star — sealed the win with three free throws in the final 11 seconds.
Fleming led the Knights with 20 points, while Betz and senior guard Dylan Penn (Evansville/Memorial) had 16 points apiece. Betz, who was 6 for 10 from the field and 3 for 4 at the free throw line, also had four rebounds, two steals and an assist. Garrett Tipton (Columbus, Ohio) scored 13 points off the Bellarmine bench.
Lipscomb, which outscored the Knights 22-5 at the line, was led by freshman guard Will Pruitt, who went 3 for 5 from deep and 5 for 5 at the charity stripe for 18 points.
