Dylan Penn

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The thing to remember about this senior class in the Bellarmine men's basketball program is that you're not going to rattle it. These guys have seen some things, been through some stuff.

They've been on long bus rides through blinding snowstorms, seen their coach get off the bus and walk ahead just to see if an exit was open. They signed with Bellarmine to try to win an NCAA Division II championship, and now find themselves trying to win a Division I conference championship – and they're still winning.

Just Sunday, three of the four of them were coming off bad flu cases, trying to win a game. And on Wednesday night in Freedom Hall, they entered the final minute of a 76-73 win over Lipscomb having been outshot 26-2 at the free-throw line. At least one official appeared to have a basic issue whistling a foul on Bellarmine's opponent.

No matter. These seniors persevered. They weren't going worry about that disparity, or lose on their Senior Night.

"There are things you can and cannot control," said CJ Fleming, who played his 141st game with the Knights on Wednesday and finished with 20 points. "And you've got to worry about the things you can control, especially in a game that's going to come down to one possession."

If ever a group has learned that lesson, it was this Bellarmine group of seniors.

"If you told me when I signed my letter of intent to come here that you're going to not play in Knights Hall, you're going to play in Freedom Hall," Dylan Penn said, "You're going to play against Lipscomb, and now you're Division I and they're your conference opponent, and you'll be playing in the middle of what is called a pandemic, which I would not have known what that meant at the time. And after the game you might have to get tested if you have symptoms for said virus. I would have been like, 'I don't know what the hell you're talking about.' So my college experience has been unique and it's changed and it's nothing I expected when I came in. And I wouldn't change a single thing. I've loved every second of it with every guy in the locker room with this program. It's been absolutely wonderful."

Penn scored 16 points Wednesday and has been one of the best interior-scoring guards in college basketball. In the team's grueling road trip that included games at Purdue, Murray State, Gonzaga and a neutral-site game at UCLA, Penn averaged 15.5 points per game.

"Those were fun until, you know, they (Gonzaga) switch Chet Holmgren onto you and you're like, 'Why can a 7-foot-1, 7-foot-2 two guy move fast enough to keep me from getting to the basket?'" Penn said.

These guys have played without a shot at the NCAA Tournament for the past three seasons. They've had to enjoy the experience without the traditional rewards. And they have. This group loves the game. They love the practices. They love the bus rides. And this year, they loved a chance to play a handful of the best teams in the nation. They persevered through a brutal road swing, and before coming home, secured a win over Central Michigan. Juston Betz called that one of his best moments at Bellarmine, and his teammates agreed. The senior from Providence High School has grown into the team's most dogged rebounder and an emotional leader.

He was the last one into the interview room, because he spent so long with family and friends. A good portion of New Albany seemed to turn out for his big night. He finished with 16 points and 4 rebounds.

"It's been a crazy ride," Betz said. "If you had told me all that, I'd have asked what team we'd be playing for. To be playing in Division I, at this amazing place, and to get a win on Senior Night against a really good team like that, I'd say we were the luckiest team in the world. And we really are. I love everybody here. I've already gotten emotional talking to the team before the game, so I think all my tears are gone. But it was a great game and a great night and the support is overwhelming."

Betz said that the program's expectations never changed, despite the stepping up in Division.

"We came here and were used to winning," he said. "That's all we've ever known. We were never told by our coaches that it was OK to lose. We play to win. It's not much of a surprise for us."

"Every time we go in the locker room, it's a goofy memory," senior Baylor Younker said. "Especially with JB."

It doesn't take long before the memories start flying. The team had to quickly vacate a hotel in Alabama last season when hotel staff didn't realize it needed a late checkout. In Florida, the team came back from a 20-point second-half deficit to win a game at Stetson. Ethan Claycomb, who transferred to Bellarmine from Vincennes, has battled through some illness and injury to get back into the starting lineup this season, said he'll remember that whole inauguaral season in Division I.

"We didn't succeed, but playing for a conference championship in that first year was an amazing experience," he said. "Hopefully we learned from it and go to the conference tournament and make some noise."

"The entire west coast trip," Betz said. "It was grueling travel, but to top it off with a win was amazing, doing it in Vegas, with a lot of support there from our families. Definitely that trip."

And the memories for this group aren't over just yet. They'll head to EKU for their season finale, then return to Freedom Hall for their first ASUN Tournament matchup.

This team has a chance to get to 20 wins. It can do some damage in the conference tournament. Win that, and it would be eligible for the NIT. But Fleming says he expects the team to approach these next few games like it always has.

"It's always just the next game," he said. "That's all we need to worry about. But yes, how we finish this season is extremely important to us."

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