Box Score

Louisville, Ky.—Kentucky State University men's basketball fell 93-75 to No. 4 Bellarmine University at Knights Hall on Friday evening on the first night of the Bellarmine Classic.

"We came to play tonight and didn't back down," said head coach Jamaal Jackson. "Bellarmine is a tough team, and there's a reason they're ranked as high as they are, they're disciplined. They run their offense, take their time, and make you work. In the first half, there were possessions where we didn't play defense the entire position, and it cost us."

Senior guard Malcolm Smith led the Thorobreds with 18 points in 31 minutes of action.  Smith has now scored double-digits points in 10 straight games, and he's the only Thorobred to score double-digit points in every game this season.

"He's a scorer, and he can shoot the ball," said Jackson. "He's not going to jump up and surprise anyone in our conference; they know what he can do. Malcolm will continue to score, but when they key in on him, we want others to get involved and contribute."

Junior guard Dorian Jordan continued to set the pace as the top distributor with nine assists. Off the bench junior forward Joseph Claybrook and freshman guard Chas Harvey contributed as Claybrook picked up nine points, while Harvey added 13 points.

The Thorobreds (2-6, 1-2) have lost four consecutive regular season contests and will play tomorrow, Dec. 17, against No. 24 Southern Indiana University as a part of the Bellarmine Classic, tipoff is set for 5 p.m. ET