By GREG MENGELT

LOUISVILLE — A pair of Southern Indiana stars had big games and Bellarmine crushed Division III Franklin 75-37 on Sunday.

Curt Hopf, freshman from Barr-Reeve, led the Knights with 14 points and senior Juston Betz, a Providence graduate, was the game’s most effective player with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in 28 minutes. Betz was 5 for 5 from the field and had a pair of offensive boards for Bellarmine, which led 41-21 at the break. B

Franklin (2-2) led 6-2 early, but a Garrett Tipton jumper — on a Betz assist — gave the Knights an 11-8 lead, it was a lead they’d never relinquish. Betz’s basket in the lane made it 43-21 early in the second half. His layup with 5:21 remaining put Bellarmine up 35 points.

Tipton, a junior, added 11 points and senior C.J. Fleming finished with 10 for Bellarmine, which shot 61.3 percent from the field in the first half and 56.5 percent for the game. The Knights out-rebounded the Grizzlies 41-27 and force 18 Franklin turnovers.

Sophomore TJ Deere had 9 points to lead Franklin.

The Knights continue their tough early schedule Tuesday when they go to Morgantown, W.V., to take on 5-1 West Virginia, which is coached by Bobby Huggins and his 900 career wins. The game can been seen on ESPN Plus or Big XII Now.