Northern Kentucky University Athletics

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The hottest basketball team in the Great Lakes Valley Conference is definitely Bellarmine. If anyone doesn't believe that is a fact, check out the stat sheet from Friday night, when the unbeaten Knights blistered the nets for 67.6 percent from the field during a 77-60 win against Northern Kentucky University.
Bellarmine (12-0 overall, 3-0 GLVC) shot 65 percent from the field in the first half to build a 34-26 lead at the break. The Knights - ranked 13th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll - then proceeded to make 70.6 percent of their shots in the second half to wrap up the victory before an enthusiastic crowd of 2,600 in Knights Hall.
NKU (8-3, 1-1 GLVC) finished at 34.5 percent from the field and 0-for-12 from 3-point range. Bellarmine's tight defense on the perimeter contested most of the Norse's 3-point attempts.
A'Daeron Duncan led NKU with 16 points, and Leslie Malone added 15 points. Bellarmine opened up a 14-point lead in the second half, but NKU went to a full-court press and cut the Knights' advantage to 66-59 with just 2:32 remaining when Duncan hit a jumper. Bellarmine, however, pulled away in the last two minutes with an 11-1 run.
Chartrael Hall led Bellarmine with 19 points and nine rebounds. Justin Benedetti added 14 points for the Knights, who won the battle of the boards by a 36-29 count.
DeAaron Williams added nine points for NKU, which entered the game ranked 17th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll. Bellarmine held Norse leading scorer Dustin Maguire to seven points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field. Earlier in the week, Maguire tossed in a career-high 29 points as NKU posted a 79-74 road win at Saginaw Valley State.
NKU continues its road trip Sunday with a game at Kentucky Wesleyan. NKU's Dave Bezold is 9-0 against Kentucky Wesleyan since taking over as head coach. NKU defeated Kentucky Wesleyan three times last season for the first time in history.
The Norse have not lost to the Panthers since Feb. 28, 2004, when Kentucky Wesleyan posted an 87-66 win against NKU at Owensboro, Ky.