Written by Kaleb VanAtter
Bellarmine is set to take on Stetson University at 6:30 p.m. at Freedom Hall on Wednesday.
Bellarmine has had a rough season, totaling only five victories through its first 22 games. The Knights recently earned their first Atlantic Sun Conference victory of the year, defeating the struggling Jacksonville Dolphins on Jan. 27 and bringing their ASUN record to 1-6 going into this contest.
The Knights have four double-digit scorers, highlighting their versatility team and mentality. Bash Weiland leads the team with 12.9 points per game, while Ben Johnson is a threat from behind the 3-point line. Guards Peter Suder and Garrett Tipton are also scoring more than 10 points per game.
“We love to share the ball. It really helps when everybody is connected,” Tipton said.
Stetson is off to a great start in conference play, boasting a 5-2 record against ASUN opponents and a 13-9 overall record. Still, this Stetson team has a clear weakness: playing on the road. The Hatters are 4-9 on the road this season, which is where they will be when they go against Bellarmine Wednesday.
“It always helps to play at home. We got to take care of what we can take care of, executing how we execute, but obviously playing at home always helps,” Wieland said.
For Stetson, keep an eye out for junior guard Jalen Blackmon, who is averaging 20.6 points per game and shooting 39% from the 3-point line. The starting center, junior Aubin Gateretse will also be a key player. He stands at 6 feet 11 inches and averages 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, according to GoHatters.com.
“Blackmon is obviously a first-team all-conference player… their bigs are better than they were last year,” Tipton said.
Rebounding and limiting the number of 3-pointers Stetson shoots will be a big key to this game.
“All five can shoot it really well. We’re going to have to close out all the way to them and run them off the line,” Wieland said.
The last time Bellarmine matched up with Stetson at Freedom Hall, it did not go well for the Knights. Stetson slaughtered Bellarmine 80-51 on Jan. 12, 2023. Blackmon led the way in that game with 21 points for the Hatters, while Suder had 14 points for the Knights.
“Obviously what they did to us last year… we want to beat them,” Tipton said.
Bellarmine has matched up with Stetson five total times headed into Wednesday's contest and holds the advantage with a 3-2 record.
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