North Alabama defeats Bellarmine 73-82

North Alabama Edges Bellarmine in Thrilling 82-73 Victory

In a back-and-forth affair, visiting North Alabama outlasted home team Bellarmine 82-73 on Monday night at Knights Hall.

The matchup was a classic conference showdown, with both teams coming into the game looking to make a statement. However, it was North Alabama that ultimately made the difference, erasing a one-point halftime deficit and pulling away for the win.

At the break, Bellarmine held a slim 33-32 lead, but the Bisons would not be denied in the second half. Dallas Howell led the charge, scoring 10 points in the final frame to help North Alabama regain the momentum. The senior guard's eight three-pointers tied a season high for him and proved to be the difference-maker in the game.

Corneilous Williams was also instrumental in the comeback, chipping in 15 rebounds and 20 points on the night. Cortez Graham-Howard added seven assists to lead the North Alabama offense, which shot an impressive 65.0% from the field to outscore Bellarmine's 62.5%.

Despite the loss, Brian Waddell led all scorers with 20 points for Bellarmine. Jack Karasinski was a force on the glass, grabbing six rebounds and scoring 17 points in the process.

The advanced statistics told a similar story. North Alabama's true shooting percentage of 68.7% edged out Bellarmine's 63.2%, while the Bisons' eFG% of 65.0% proved to be too much for the Knights to handle.

As the final buzzer sounded, North Alabama celebrated its hard-fought win. The victory marked a significant moment in the conference standings, as the Bisons moved closer to the top of the table.

The Bellarmine loss dropped the Knights back into the fold, but they will look to bounce back from the setback soon. For now, however, the focus is on the North Alabama team that proved it can overcome adversity and come out on top when it counts most.