Box Score (PDF) / Box Score (HTML)

St. Charles, Mo. - The Lewis University men's basketball team upset top-seeded and 12th ranked Bellarmine, 70-66, to advance to its first Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship game since 2008 at Family Arena on Saturday (March 6) evening.

Lewis sophomore forward Max Strus (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) collected a game-high 27 points, including five three-pointers, and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Flyer junior point guard Miles Simelton (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) added 16 points, while freshman guard Delaney Blaylock (Wyoming, Mich./Godwin Heights) added 10 points and five rebounds in the win.

"I thought we kept our poise when they made a run," Lewis head men's basketball coach Scott Trost said. "We did what we had to do and made a couple more plays down the stretch.

"I couldn't be more proud of a group of guys."

With the win, Lewis improves to 23-8 on the season, while the Knights fall to 23-6. The Flyers will play the winner of UW-Parkside/Quincy at 3:30 PM on Sunday (March 6) for the title.

Bellarmine junior forward Josh Derksen came off the bench to score 15 points, while junior guard Rusty Troutman posted all 13 of his points in the second half. Bellarmine senior guard Michael Parrish had eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds for the Knights.

Bellarmine took a 33-32 lead into halftime, but it was the Flyers and Strus who came out surging.

Following a Parrish jumper to open the second half, Lewis went on a 22-6 run over the next seven minutes to take a 54-41 lead over the Knights with 12:29. Strus scored 14 of his 27 points during this stretch, including four three-pointers.

The Knights, however, stormed back with a 24-10 run paced by 11 points and three treys from Troutman to take a 66-64 lead with 1:33 left in the contest .

Bellarmine fouled Simelton with 1:11 on the clock and the Oswego, Ill., native drained both of his free throws to even the score up at 66 apiece. On the ensuing possession, Troutman turned the ball over on a charging foul, giving the ball back to the Flyers.

Strus drew a foul on senior forward George Suggs, sending him to the line for a pair of charity shots that he converted with 16 seconds left, giving Lewis the 68-66 lead.

Derksen missed his go-ahead three-point attempt with six seconds left on the clock and Strus grabbed the rebound. Troutman fouled Strus, sending him to the line for two more free throws. Strus converted both, clinching the win for the Flyers.