Box Score / Box Score (PDF)
Louisville, Ky. - Despite holding No. 4 Bellarmine to its second-lowest point total of the season, the Lewis University men's basketball team was unable to overcome a combined 55 points from senior forward Luke Sprague and junior guards Jeremy Kendle and Chris Dowe, as the host Knights earned the 66-57 NCAA Midwest Regional victory over the Flyers at Knights Hall on Saturday (March 10) evening.
Sprague, who missed the second half with an injury, scored all 19 of his points in the first half on 7-for-7 shooting, including five three-pointers. Kendle scored a game-high 23 points, while Dowe finished with 13 points, including an 8-for-10 performance from the free throw line.
Bellarmine improves to 26-3 and will face the winner of the final quarterfinal showdown between Northern Kentucky and Findlay on Sunday. Lewis ends the 2011-12 season with a record of 17-12.
Lewis freshmen
Ryan Jackson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) (Bolingbrook, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) and
Julian Lewis (Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) (Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) each scored 11 points to lead the Flyers.
The first half was even for the first 15 minutes, as Bellarmine held a 26-22 advantage with 5:44 remaining in the opening stanza, following a jumper from Lewis forward
Lonnie Lawrence (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington). Bellarmine went on a 11-0 run that carried over into the second half to build a 37-22 lead over the Flyers with 19:06 left in the game. Kendle led the charge with six points during that span.
Bellarmine would extend that lead to 57-37 with 10:31 left in the contest, following a three-point play by reserve forward Richie Phares.
The Flyers, however, did not want their season to end as they answered with an 18-4 run led by seven points from Lewis and a pair of three-pointers by junior guard
David Bryant (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) to draw within 61-55 with 2:50 left in the game.
That, however, would be as close as Lewis would get, as Bellarmine held on for the victory.
