Rivalry Week comes to a close on Saturday as the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team hosts in-state rival Bellarmine University in the second of two meetings this week. The game, which is set to begin at 7 p.m. ET, will air live on ESPN+ and can also be heard on WCYO 100.7 FM in the Richmond area or on EKUSports.com worldwide.
EKU currently leads the all-time series 4-2, having won the first three games in the series. In the three meetings as members of the ASUN Conference, each team has won on their respective home courts. However, Bellarmine was able to secure a 72-71 win over the Colonels on Thursday thanks to a long 3-pointer from Garrett Tipton with just 0.2 seconds remaining in the game.
The Colonels are currently tied for third in the ASUN Conference with a record of 13-9 and 6-3 in league games. EKU is also third in the nation with 14 offensive rebounds per game. On Thursday, the Colonels pulled down 12 offensive rebounds and turned them into 18 second-chance points. Michael Moreno had a strong performance, finishing with 21 points and moving into 15th place on EKU’s all-time rebounds list with nine rebounds. He is also just 13 points away from moving into 20th place on the program’s scoring list.
Bellarmine improved to 10-12 this season and 5-4 in league games, tied for fifth in the conference with Lipscomb. Juston Betz led the Knights with 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in their win over EKU. Peter Suder recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out of the game. Bellarmine entered Thursday’s game shooting 45 percent from the field but was able to hit 52 percent against the Colonels and made 41 percent of their 3-pointers.
Saturday’s game will be special as free “Crowd The Coliseum” t-shirts will be given out while supplies last. Be sure to tune in or catch the live radio broadcast as the Colonels look to avenge their loss and secure the win over their in-state rival.
