LOUISVILLE, Ky. – 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 decided to foul Ethan Claycomb with 0:32 left. Claycomb missed the front end of a one and one as Donovan Oliver (Kewanee, Ill./Kewanee) got the rebound. The Flyers weren't able to take advantage though as Pischke was called for a travel with 0:22 left.

Lewis fouled Ben Weyer who hit both free throws with 0:20 left to extend the lead back to six points.

Stapleton hit a three-pointer with 0:10 left to cut the margin to three.

That would be the closest that the Flyers got though as Bellarmine hit 3-of-4 at the foul line in the closing seconds to prevail.

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. After turning the ball over 14 times in the first half, the Flyers cut that number to five in the second half.

Bell matched his career-high with 21 points in the contest to lead all scorers.

Penn and Alex Cook led Bellarmine with 20 and 16 points respectively.

Lewis returns home next Thursday (Jan. 9) taking on Rockhurst at 7:30 p.m.