EKU Looking for First 5-0 Conference Start Since 1978-79, Host Bellarmine on Saturday

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University’s men’s basketball team will host in-state rival Bellarmine University on First Responders Night at Baptist Health Arena on Saturday.

First Responders can receive two FREE tickets at this link ekusports.com\First.  In addition, Loop Rawlins, the One Man Wild West Show, will preform at halftime.

The game will begin at 7 p.m. ET and air live on ESPN+. 

THE COLONELS

-  The Colonels (8-9, 4-0 ASUN) stretched their winning streak to four straight with an 81-72 victory at North Alabama on Saturday.  EKU is looking for its first 5-0 start in conference play since 1978-79.

-  Michael Moreno led the Colonels with 17 points at UNA.  In his last two games, Moreno has averaged 18.5 points while shooting 72.2 percent from the field (13-for-18) and 69 percent (11-of-16) from 3-point range.

-  Isaiah Cozart had 14 points and 11 rebounds against North Alabama, his third straight double-double and eighth of the season.

-  Through its first four Atlantic Sun Conference games, EKU has had the lead for 150:07 of a possible 160 minutes.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

-  Bellarmine is 4-15 overall and 0-4 in conference games.  The Knights’ only victory over a Division I team was on the road against Bowling Green (85-67), a team that is 13-4 this year.  

- Bellarmine has four players averaging 10 or more points per game, led by 6-foot-3 redshirt sophomore guard Ben Johnson at 12.4 points per game.

-  Langdon Hatton, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward, averages a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game while scoring 8.1 points per contest.

-  Garrett Tipton, a 6-foot-4 guard, is fourth on the team in scoring (10.4 ppg), but leads the squad with 41 three-pointers.  He has shot 41 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point range this season.

INSIDE THE MATCH-UP

-  Bellarmine has been out-rebounded by 4.9 boards per game this season, the worst margin in the ASUN.  The Colonels lead the conference, having out-rebounded their opponents by 4.9 per game.

-  Bellarmine is averaging only 67 points per game this season, which is the lowest in the ASUN.  The Knights have been held to less than 60 points eight times this season and fewer than 70 points on 12 occasions.

INSIDE THE SERIES

-  EKU leads the all-time series 5-2.  The Colonels are 5-0 against the Knights in games played in Richmond.  The first meeting between the two programs was on Dec. 15, 1958.  As members of the ASUN Conference, the teams have split their season series each of the last two seasons with each team winning on its home court.

-  Devontae Blanton and Leland Walker combined for 42 points in EKU’s 73-63 win over Bellarmine on Jan. 28, 2023 at Baptist Health Arena.  Blanton finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds.  Walker scored 20 points.  Garrett Tipton led Bellarmine with 17 points.  EKU shot 50 percent from the field for the game.  The Knights made 45 percent of their shots.  Both teams finished 7-for-22 (32 percent) from 3-point range.  The Colonels had a 37-28 rebounding edge.

Photo Credit: EKU Athletics