Bellarmine surprised the college basketball world Wednesday night with a 67–66 upset win over Louisville.
It was the Knights’ first win in 13 meetings against the crosstown giant, and it spoiled the Louisville debut for new coach Kenny Payne.
Bellarmine fell behind by eight points early but chipped away and took its first lead midway through the first half. The Knights led by as many as 14 in the first half before settling for an 11-point halftime lead.
Bellarmine took a 67–55 lead with 4:41 left on a layup by Garrett Tipton. Despite not scoring again, the Knights withstood a late 11-point run by the Cardinals to win by one.
Not found in the box score is the unusual play Knights guard Juston Betz made in the closing seconds. Betz rebounded a Louisville miss and lobbed it the length of the court to keep the Cardinals from being able to foul and stop the clock.
Betz’s smart play sealed the season-opening victory for the scrappy Knights, who next play at Morehead State on Saturday. Louisville will look to bounce back when it plays host to Wright State on Saturday.
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