LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Interstat) — A dominant second-half offensive explosion propelled the Bellarmine Knights to an 81-65 victory over the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in an ASUN Conference men’s basketball game Saturday afternoon at Knights Hall.

In a contest that was tightly contested for the first 20 minutes, Bellarmine seized control after halftime, outscoring Florida Gulf Coast 49-34 to pull away decisively. The Knights improved to 11-13 overall, while the Eagles fell to 10-15.

The game’s pivotal shift came early in the second half. With Bellarmine leading 32-31 at intermission, the Knights opened the final period on a blistering 14-5 run. The surge was fueled by Jack Karasinski, who buried a three-pointer, and a relentless attack that saw the Knights score on five of their first six possessions. That stretch established a double-digit lead that Florida Gulf Coast would never seriously threaten, as Bellarmine’s offensive efficiency proved overwhelming.

Bellarmine’s offensive execution was a stark contrast to the first half. The Knights shot a scorching 53 percent from the field for the game, including 12 of 27 from three-point range. They were even more efficient after halftime, capitalizing on their possessions to post an offensive rating of 119.9 points per 100 possessions. Florida Gulf Coast, meanwhile, struggled to find a consistent rhythm, shooting just 40 percent overall and 7 of 29 from beyond the arc, resulting in an offensive rating of 92.7.

Karasinski, a 6-foot-7 junior from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the catalyst for Bellarmine, leading all scorers with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including four three-pointers, while adding five rebounds and a block. He continued a torrid scoring stretch, having now averaged over 20 points in his last four games. Sam Donald, a 6-foot-8 sophomore from Columbia, Illinois, provided crucial support with 17 points and four rebounds, while Tyler Doyle, a Lexington, Kentucky native, chipped in 19 points. Kenyon Goodin orchestrated the offense with six assists.

Florida Gulf Coast was led by the versatile performance of J.R. Konieczny. The 6-foot-7 senior from South Bend, Indiana, filled the stat sheet with 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes. Jordan Ellerbee added 12 points and five rebounds for the Eagles, who were hampered by 11 turnovers and just five assists as a team.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring eight lead changes. Florida Gulf Coast opened the game with a three-pointer from Ellerbee, but Bellarmine responded with Karasinski and Donald connecting from deep. Konieczny kept the Eagles in it with a series of mid-range jumpers, and a Rory Stewart three-pointer at the first-half buzzer sent the teams to the locker room separated by just a single point.

Any momentum from that shot was quickly extinguished by Bellarmine’s second-half onslaught. The Knights consistently found open shooters, with Doyle, Donald and Brian Waddell all hitting key threes to stretch the lead. Florida Gulf Coast’s offense became stagnant, often relying on difficult, contested shots as the Knights’ defense tightened, recording nine steals.

Bellarmine’s ball movement and shot selection were superior, as evidenced by their 9-5 advantage in assists and a 27-51 shooting performance compared to Florida Gulf Coast’s 24-60. The Knights also took better care of the ball down the stretch and capitalized at the free-throw line, making 15 of 18 attempts.

A crowd of 1,528 at Knights Hall saw Bellarmine win its second straight conference game and continue to build momentum in the ASUN standings. Florida Gulf Coast, which entered the game as a statistical favorite according to Interstat’s ELO system, has now lost two of its last three.

Bellarmine travels to face Central Arkansas on Thursday. Florida Gulf Coast returns home to host North Florida on Wednesday.