Flyer women beat Bellarmine

Lewis University’s women’s basketball team held off a late charge to defeat Bellarmine 78-76 on Saturday afternoon at Knights Hall in Louisville, Ky. The Flyers remain unbeaten in GLVC play at 3-0 and improve to 6-5 overall while the Knights fall to 6-4, 1-2 GLVC.

Lewis got off to a great start shooting over 57 percent (8-of-14) from the floor including 3-of-6 from three to take a 20-11 lead by the end of the opening quarter. Reilly Olmstead (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) and Rachel Hinders (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) combined to score 15 of the Flyers 20 points in the stanza.

Lewis opened the second quarter on a 12-3 run to extend its lead to 18 near the midway point of the frame. Bellarmine answered with 9-1 run of its own over the next 2:30 to cut the Flyer lead to 10 on a layup by Alisha Owens.

Lewis closed out the half scoring the final four points to take a 37-23 lead into the locker room at the half.

The Flyers extended their lead to as many as 19 halfway through the third quarter but the Knights refused to go away outscoring Lewis 20-4 the rest of the quarter including the final 10 of the stanza to cut the lead to 52-49.

Bellarmine tied the score early in the fourth quarter on a three-pointer from Mallory Schwartz but the Flyers regained the lead on an old fashioned three-point play from Hinders.

Lewis extended its lead back to 10 with 3:23 to play but once again the Knights responded with an 8-2 run over the next 1:50 to cut the margin to four.

The Flyers were able to close out the game at the foul line hitting five of their last eight attempts at the charity stripe.

The Knights would hit a pair of three’s in the final 0:06 for the final margin.

Hinders matched her career-high with 28 points to lead all scorers. Kaitlyn Williams (Homer Glen, Ill./Joliet Catholic) added 12 while Olmstead added 11. Stephanie Hart (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) and Morgan Glatczak (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) had nine points apiece.

Lewis finished the game shooting over 51 percent (24-for-47) in the contest, was 7-of-19 from three and hit a season-high 23 free throws in a season-high 26 attempts.

Bellarmine shot over 38 percent (26-for-68) from the floor, was 9-of-30 from three and shot 83 percent at the foul line. Schwartz led four Knights in double figures with 17 points.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Lewis University’s men’s basketball team dropped a defensive slugfest at top ranked Bellarmine 56-50 on Saturday afternoon at Knights Hall in Louisville, Ky. The Flyers fall to 6-5 on the season, 1-2 in the GLVC while the Knights improve to 10-0, 3-0 GLVC.

Lewis held a Bellarmine offense that entering Saturday’s contest was averaging 86 points and shooting over 56 percent from the field to season lows in points (56), field goals made (17), three-point field goals made (2) and field goal percentage (38.6 percent).

The Flyers led early at 8-5 after a jumper by Adam Pischke (Cary, Ill./Marian Central Catholic) with 16:08 left in the opening half.

Lewis’ offense went cold over the final 16 minutes of the half as they scored just seven points and were held to just three field goals while turning the ball over 12 times.

The Knights took advantage as they outscored the Flyers in that span 24-7 including the final 12 points of the half to take a 29-15 lead into the locker room at the half.

Lewis opened the second half on a 13-3 run to cut the Knight lead to 32-28 on back-to-back three-pointers from Anthony D’Avanzo (Harwood Heights, Ill./Notre Dame) and Dre Bell (Detroit, Mich./River Rouge).

Bellarmine countered with a 13-2 run over the next 6:20 to extend is lead to its largest of the contest at 45-30 on a dunk by Dylan Penn.

The Flyers swung back rattling off 10 in a row getting three points apiece from Bell and Artese Stapleton (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood) to cut the deficit to five with 4:39 to play.

The Knights pushed the lead back to seven but Lewis kept fighting cutting the margin to four on a jumper by Bell with 1:27 to play. Bell had a chance to cut the lead to one but is three-point attempt from the right wing rattled in and out with 0:45 left. Stapleton got the rebound but couldn’t finish the layup which would have cut the margin to two with 0:38 remaining.

Lewis was held to 34 percent shooting (19-for-56) from the field, 9-of-35 from three but it outrebounded the Knights 37-to-29.