LOUISVILLE, Ky. by Adam Pruiett – Once the turnovers started piling up for Ferris State, the points came in bunches for the Bellarmine University women’s basketball team.
BU used an opportunistic press to force the Bulldogs into 32 turnovers, capitalizing on that relentless effort to post a decisive 76-52 victory on Saturday at Knights Hall in the Bellarmine Classic.
Junior forward Sarah Galvin notched a game-high 15 points and had six rebounds and three steals for Bellarmine, which moved to 7-0 for the first time since the 2002-03 season. Junior guard Whitney Hartlage had 12 points, five assists and three steals, while junior guardDestony Curry chipped in 10 points and freshman centerAlly Mayhaus grabbed a game-best eight rebounds.
Ferris State (2-7) struggled mightily with Bellarmine’s pressure. The Bulldogs led 16-12 after the first quarter, but the turnovers began mounting and the Knights pulled away for good early in the third quarter. BU had a devastating 31-9 superiority in points off turnovers.
Taking advantage of those takeaways along with terrific passing (21 assists) and strong interior play led by Galvin translated into a 52-34 advantage in points in the paint for Bellarmine. One of the more promising signs in the game for the Knights was that Mayhaus and fellow freshman center Liza Tibbs combined for 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Another good sign was that Bellarmine didn’t need to dominate at the free throw line like the Knights consistently had leading into the contest. Ferris State hit 13-of-19 attempts from the charity stripe, while the Knights had only nine chances, sinking six.
It didn’t matter. After trailing by four after one period, senior guard Mackenzie Martinez spotted Galvin for a jumper and 19-18 lead that Bellarmine would never relinquish. Sophomore forward Brooke Valentine followed a 3-pointer by Hartlage with a steal and lay-in as the Knights built some breathing room en route to a 34-27 halftime lead.
In the second quarter, Bellarmine had a 10-0 advantage in points off turnovers and 16-8 advantage in points in the paint. Establishing those two facets pushed Bellarmine to a dominant second half in which the Knights’ lead swelled to 53-49 after three quarters and to as many as 25 points in the final period.
Martinez converted a basket off a steal as Bellarmine led by 10 less than one minute into the third quarter. Sophomore forward Beth Bowers fed Martinez for a basket after another theft for a 17-point bulge. Then, early in the fourth quarter, senior guard Mariah Gador canned a jumper for a 20-point difference as the Knights coasted to the victory.
BU will host Northern Michigan at 3 p.m. (ET) on Sunday in the Knights’ second and final game of the Bellarmine Classic. The Wildcats were defeated 63-43 by Southern Indiana in the opening game of the Classic.
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