The Bellarmine men’s basketball team will look to continue their success when they return to Freedom Hall on Thursday, January 5th to host the Queens University of Charlotte in ASUN Conference action. The game is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.
The visiting Royals, who are in their first year in both Division I and the ASUN, have had a strong start to the season, posting an 11-4 overall record and a 1-1 record in ASUN play. Queens achieved two major milestones in their debut season, winning their first-ever D1 game with an 83-82 victory over Marshall on November 7th, and claiming their ASUN opener with an 81-77 win over Austin Peay on December 29th. The Royals’ success can be attributed in part to the return of four starters from last season’s team, which went 30-4 and won the South Atlantic Conference.
Queens is led by veteran point guard Kenny Dye, who has competed in all 138 games the team has played over the past five seasons. Last year, Dye was second on the team in scoring and led the Royals in assists. This year, he is leading the team in both categories, averaging 17.5 points (second in the ASUN) and 4.9 assists (first in the ASUN). Dye is not the only Royal excelling in the ASUN, as Gavin Rains is averaging a league-best 10.2 rebounds per game, and BJ McLaurin is the most accurate 3-point shooter in the ASUN, making 51.5% of his treys.
As a team, Queens is dominant on the backboards, averaging 41 rebounds per game, which leads the ASUN. The Royals are also effective at attacking the rim and drawing fouls, having made more free throws (232) than their opponents have attempted (214).
Bellarmine, who has a 6-9 overall record and a 1-1 record in ASUN play, enters Thursday’s game on the heels of a 69-65 road win over North Alabama. In that game, redshirt freshman Landin Hacker contributed a career-high 13 points, going 4-for-4 from the free throw line and making all three of his 3-point attempts. Redshirt senior Garrett Tipton also had a strong performance, scoring a game-high 18 points, including two back-to-back buckets in crunch time that gave the Knights the lead for good. Tipton leads the team in scoring with an average of 11.9 points per game. Graduate student Juston Betz contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in the win over North Alabama. Betz is the team’s top rebounder and assist man, averaging 4.8 and 3.2, respectively.
After Thursday’s game, the Knights will hit the road again, traveling to Alabama to face Jacksonville State on Saturday night. The game is scheduled for a 9 p.m. tip-off.
