#10 Knights Top #16 Oilers 63-54
The 16th-ranked UF men's basketball team dropped a 63-54 decision to 10th-ranked Bellarmine University on Sunday, Nov. 23 in Louisville, Ky. The loss evens the Oilers record at 1-1 on the year.
The Oilers scratched and clawed their way through the first half and when the opening period ended, they trailed the Knights by three at 30-27. The Knights then got rolling in the second half, opening the period on an 18-4 run, but the Oilers again showed fight as they went on an 11-0 run to cut the lead to six at 48-42 with just under eight minutes to play.
Findlay remained within striking distance of the Knights for the rest of the game, but the Oilers could not get any closer than six points as they suffered their first loss of the year.
The Oilers did not shoot the ball well in the contest as they connected on only 32.2 percent (19-of-59) of their shot attempts. The Knights, who are annually one of the top shooting teams in the nation, shot 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the floor in the game.
Bellarmine held a 39-38 lead on the boards and only committed 11 fouls, compared to 21 for Findlay.
Sophomore forward Tyler Stern-Tucker led the Oilers with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He hit 3-of-6 attempts from behind the three point line while also grabbing six rebounds in the game.
Senior forward Jake Heagen had nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks while junior forward John Staley recorded eight points, three rebounds and three assists.
Freshman guard Elijah Kahlig contributed six points off the bench while sophomore center Quaran Jones provided four points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.
Chris Whitehead led the Knights with 14 points while Jake Thelen had 12 points and nine boards.
The Oilers will be off until Dec. 4 when they open up Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play at home against Northwood University. The game is scheduled to tip at 7:30 p.m.