Gabriel picks up 100th win as BU downs Trojans, 58-52

Box Score

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Bellevue University head men's basketball coach Lucas Gabriel achieved his 100th career victory as the Bruins defeated Hannibal-LaGrange University on Tuesday night at the Hampton Inn Thanksgiving Classic held on the Columbia College campus.

With this win, the Bruins extended their winning streak to four games and improved to 6-2 for the season, while HLGU fell to 2-5 overall. Gabriel, now in his sixth season at Bellevue, boasts a coaching record of 100-67.

TJ Fritz led the Bruins with 17 points, hitting 2-of-6 from three-point range and making all seven of his free throw attempts. JJ Montgomery contributed eight points and five rebounds, while Nigel Wilson also added eight points along with four boards and a steal.

For the Trojans, Josh Talton led the scoring with 15 points, accompanied by three rebounds and two steals. Kell Estep recorded 11 points and six rebounds, and Eddie Ambrose finished with 10 points and eight boards.

The game began with the Trojans establishing a 10-3 lead in the first four minutes. However, Bellevue responded with a 14-2 run, aided by three-pointers from Raphael Allen and Caleb Chiang, as well as two triples from Fritz, which gave BU a 17-12 advantage. 

HLGU narrowed the gap back to one point before Bellevue scored five consecutive points to take a 28-22 lead with two minutes remaining in the first half. The Trojans then scored the final four points of the period, and the Bruins entered halftime with a narrow 28-26 lead.

Fritz was the standout for Bellevue in the first half, scoring 10 points on 2-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc and hitting all four of his free throw attempts. Talton led the Trojans with six points and two assists during the opening 20 minutes.

In the second half, the largest lead for either team was just three points until Bellevue surged ahead with a 9-0 run, creating a seven-point cushion at 43-36 with 10:26 left in the game. 

Talton then hit six free throws, and Ambrose scored a layup to give the Trojans a one-point lead at 46-45 with 7:17 remaining in the contest. The teams exchanged baskets over the following four minutes until the Bruins scored five unanswered points to regain a 53-48 lead with two minutes left.

With Bellevue holding a three-point lead, Ambrose missed a free throw opportunity, but the Bruins managed to convert 3-of-4 free throws in the final 17 seconds to secure the 58-52 victory.

The Bruins will conclude the tournament on Wednesday, November 27, with a 3 p.m. matchup against the host school, Columbia College.