ST. LOUIS, MO. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis men's basketball team held No. 1 ranked Bellarmine to season lows of 66 points and 38.2 percent shooting, but it wasn't enough as the Knights earned a 66-53 win Thursday night in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.
 
Bellarmine entered the game shooting an NCAA DII best 58.6 percent from the field.
 
Records: UMSL (10-3, 1-2 GLVC), No. 1 Bellarmine (11-0, 2-0 GLVC)
 
How it Happened
Bellarmine closed the first half with a 10-2 run to take a 32-30 lead at the break, erasing a 21-15 deficit. Senior Eric Dust knocked in a three-pointer at the 16:26 mark to give UMSL its largest lead of the game at 9-2, while back-to-back three-pointers from junior Josh Carter and senior Johnathan Matthews gave the Tritons the 21-15 advantage with 7:02 on the clock.
 
Bellarmine used a 6-2 spurt to open the second half, increasing the lead to 38-32. The Knights later extended their advantage to 55-46 with 5:11 to play. UMSL was able to whittle the deficit to six three times before the Knights put the lead into double figures for the first time at 1:23.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Matthews finished with 23 points, draining 6-of-8 three-pointers.
• UMSL shot 38 percent and was outrebounded 35-31. Sophomore Jose Grubbs pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
• The Tritons committed 16 turnovers, helping the Knights to a 15-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
• Bellarmine was 20-of-22 at the free-throw line, while UMSL was 6-of-7.

 
Up Next: UMSL wraps up its 12-game homestand on Saturday, hosting Southern Indiana at 3 p.m.