LOUISVILLE, KY – LMU shot 52.9 percent from the field, 50 percent from three, and outscored Bellarmine by a dozen in the second half to close the non-conference portion of the schedule with a 71-57 road win.
 
Bellarmine scored the first nine points out of the gate to take a 9-0 lead and force Coach Stan Johnson to use a timeout less than three minutes into the game.
 
Keli Leaupepe scored the first five points for LMU to put the Lions on the board. His three-pointer sparked a 10-0 run that gave the Lions a lead for the first time, 12-11. Leauepepe grabbled 11 rebounds, with six coming on the offensive glass, en route to his first double-double of the season.
 
After the Knights went back on top, it was a second 10-0 that flipped the Lions ahead. Joe Quintana hit both a three and converted a three-point play during that run to give LMU a 22-16 advantage.
 
Cam Shelton scored go-ahead layups with the score tied at both 25-all and 27-all before
LMU carried a 31-29 lead into intermission. Shelton scored 12 points and dished out seven assists with no turnovers.
 
Eli Scott pushed LMU ahead by four with an offensive rebound layup. Despite only taking four shots and scoring five points, Scott led the team with a game-high eight assists.
 
Bellarmine tied the score at 42-all before the Lions went on a 9-0 run in less than three minutes to push ahead 51-42 with 10:20 on the clock.
 
The Knights cut it to a five-point game before Quintana hit back-to-back threes and Leaupepe hit a one-legged turnaround to beat the shot clock and give LMU a 13-point lead with 6:46 to play.
 
The lead never dipped below double-digits as Quintana buried five of his seven three pointers in the second half for a career-high 28 points.
 
Dameane Douglas added 11 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Lions will now shift focus into conference opponents, beginning with Gonzaga on New Year's Day. The Zags come to Gersten Pavilion on Jan. 1 for a 4:00 PM game.