Bruins escape with 81-75 win over Sterling

Tournament Website

Site: Bellevue, Neb. (Gordon Lozier Athletic Center)
Score: Bellevue 81, Sterling 75
Records: BU (6-3, 0-0 MCAC), SC (3-5, 0-0 KCAC)
Next BU event: Saturday, Dec. 1 - at Washburn (Lee Arena) – 3 p.m.

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The 13th-ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team erased a 14-point second-half deficit to record an 81-75 victory over Sterling College in the final game of the Hampton Inn Thanksgiving Classic Saturday night at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

Bellevue (6-3) did not allow a field goal in the final seven minutes of the contest, while escaping with the six-point victory. Sterling fell to 3-5 on the season with the loss. 

Jamil Goodwin tied a season-high with 20 points, while adding five rebounds. Darius Robinson and Dominique Grant added 13 points apiece and Shawn Tarver collected his second double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. 

Sterling was led by Raheem Odomes' 26 points. 

After Sterling scored the game's first five points, the Bruins went on a 15-4 run to establish a 15-9 advantage with 13:11 remaining in the first half. The Warriors scored seven-straight points capped by a pair of jumpers from Odomes to regain the lead at 16-15 midway through the period. 

Five-straight points from Odomes gave Sterling a six-point (25-19) lead at 6:51. The Warrior lead reached eight points (32-24) before BU closed the half on an 8-2 run as Sterling went into the intermission with a slim 34-32 advantage.

Goodwin led the Bruins in the opening period with seven points. Adam Brown scored 12 points and Odomes added nine for the Warriors in the opening period which featured four ties and eight lead changes.  

The Warriors grabbed a 10-point lead (58-48) in the first eight minutes of the second half fueled by 11 points from Odomes. A 3-point play by Odomes at 8:59 extended the Warrior lead to 14 points at 68-54.

Sterling maintained a 14-point margin until seven-consecutive points from Grant cut the deficit to seven points (71-64) with just under five minutes remaining in the contest.

After a Warrior bucket, the Bruins closed the game on a 17-2 run to collect the 81-75 victory. 

Scoring Summary
Sterling - 34-41--75
Bellevue - 32-49--81

SC: Odomes, 26; Adesodun, 18; Brown, 15; Green, 6; Thompson, 4; Alexander, 3; Stacker, 3.
BU: Goodwin, 20; Grant, 13; Robinson, 13; Tarver, 12; Pettigrew, 7; Zamudio, 6; Dotson, 5; Narkis, 5.