The Bellarmine men’s basketball team will face off against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in an ASUN Conference matchup on Saturday night in Alabama. This will be the Knights’ third conference game in a week, as they previously defeated North Alabama on Monday and fell to Queens University of Charlotte on Thursday. The game will pit last year’s ASUN Champion, Bellarmine, against the ASUN regular season champion, Jacksonville State, both of which have struggled in the early stages of the 2023 league schedule.
Bellarmine has opened the season with a 1-2 record in conference play, while the Gamecocks are still seeking their first win in three ASUN games. Jacksonville State has suffered losses at Liberty, at Jacksonville, and at home against North Alabama. The Gamecocks will be looking to turn their fortunes around against the Knights.
Offensively, Jacksonville State is led by the backcourt tandem of Demaree King and Skyelar Potter. King was the ASUN leader in 3-point percentage last season, making 84 of 186 for a 45.2% success rate. Potter, a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, is new to the JSU squad this year after playing two years at Wright State and two years at Morehead. Both players are averaging over 14 points per game and shooting over 40% from beyond the arc.
Other key contributors for the Gamecocks include Juwan Perdue, who averages 7.6 rebounds and 7.8 points per game, and Amanze Ngumezi, who puts up 8.3 points per game. The Gamecocks have a record of 7-9 this season.
For Bellarmine, redshirt senior Garrett Tipton has been leading the way offensively. The 6-4 guard is coming off a career-best 27-point performance against Queens, bringing his season average to 12.8 points per game. Graduate student Juston Betz has also made significant contributions for the Knights. The ASUN Preseason Defensive Player of the Year is leading the team in assists at 3.6 per game and in rebounding at 4.7 per game. In the Knights’ last game against Queens, Betz dished out a season-high eight assists.
The Knights have faced several injuries this season, and their second and third leading scorers, Ben Johnson and Bash Wieland, were unable to play in their last game. In their absence, freshman Peter Suder stepped up, scoring 22 points on 10 of 15 shooting. The Knights have a record of 6-10 this season.
After Saturday’s game, the Knights’ schedule will return to a more consistent pattern. They will host two games next week, entertaining Stetson on Thursday and Florida Gulf Coast University on Saturday. Bellarmine will be looking to build on their win against North Alabama and get back to their winning ways against Stetson and FGCU. Jacksonville State, on the other hand, will be looking to pick up their first conference win of the season and turn their season around.
