By GREG MENGELT
The Knights will host Jacksonville (21-9) in Tuesday’s championship game at 5 p.m. on ESPN2. The Dolphins knocked off Jacksonville State 54-51 in Saturday’s other semi. It will be Jacksonville’s first A-Sun final appearance since 2009. This will be Bellarmine’s first appearance since joining the league last season.
The Dolphins beat Bellarmine 66-63 at Freedom Hall, where Tuesday’s championship game will be played, on Jan. 22. The Knights are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament. If Bellarmine wins Tuesday, Jacksonville State (21-10) will be the representative in the NCAA Tournament based on its regular-season performance.
After trailing by eight points at halftime Saturday, the Knights (19-13) went on a 17-9 run to tie the game at 35 with 14 minutes left. The contest was tight the rest of the way. Senior guard Dylan Penn (Evansville/Memorial) hit a layup with 1:18 remaining to give Bellarmine the lead for good.
Senior forward Ethan Claycomb (Vincennes) and senior guard CJ Fleming (Cincinnati/LaSalle) clinched the victory at the free throw line.
Penn led the Knights with 19 points and Claycomb added 16. Former Providence standout Juston Betz scored three points and led the Knights with eight rebounds and with three steals.
Liberty star Darius McGhee — the likely A-Sun Player of the Year — had a game-high 21 points.
