BU picks up nine-point win over Vikings in NSAA Quarterfinals

Box Score
NSAA Tournament Site

VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- Led by Faith Ross and Elexis Martinez, the Bellevue University women's basketball team picked up a 61-52 victory at Valley City State University on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the NSAA Tournament at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.  

The sixth-seeded Bruins (14-16) will face Mayville State University, the No. 2 seed, at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, in the NSAA Tournament semifinals at the Watertown Civic Arena in Watertown, S.D.

VCSU ends its season with a 10-15 overall record. 

Ross finished with 13 points and three rebounds. Martinez added 12 points, four boards, and a pair of assists.

Miranda Hennings chipped in with nine points. She hit 3-of-6 shots from long range. Asha Scott contributed with eight points and a team-high 12 rebounds. 

Adriana Torres paced the Vikings with 12 points and five rebounds. Emma Nielsen added 11 points and three rebounds. Taryn Dieterle finished with seven points and a game-high 13 rebounds.  

Hennings' second 3-pointer of the first quarter gave BU a 15-5 lead midway through the opening frame. After the Bruins extended the lead to 18-5, VCSU ended the quarter on a 6-0 run as the Bruins took an 18-11 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play. 

Hennings led BU in the opening quarter with six points on 2-of-4 shooting from long range. Ross added five points, going 2-of-3 from the field. 

Nielsen hit back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second quarter, drawing the Vikings to within four points at 21-17 with eight minutes remaining before the intermission. 

The Bruins answered with a 6-0 run capped by a triple from Hennings to extend the margin to double digits at 27-17 at the 6:39 mark. 

The two teams traded buckets for the remainder of the second quarter as BU maintained a 10-point advantage at 35-25 at the halftime break. 

Hennings led the Bruins in the first half with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from behind the arc. Scott added eight points and nine rebounds. Ross registered eight points in the opening half after going 3-of-6 from the field. 

Nielsen paced the Vikings in the first half with nine points and a pair of rebounds.  

A deep 3-pointer by Allie Critchley highlighted a 9-2 VCSU run as the Vikings drew to within five points at 42-37 with 2:19 left in the third. 

Ashtyn Arnold drained a sideline 3-pointer at the buzzer, capping a 9-2 Bruin spurt, as Bellevue took a 51-39 lead heading into the final quarter.  

Five-straight points from Torres and a pair of free throws by Nielsen made it a four-point contest at 55-51 with 2:30 remaining in the contest. 

Critchley hit 1-of-2 free throws to keep the margin at four points at 56-52 with 46 seconds left in regulation. 

The Bruins hit 3-of-4 free throws to make it a seven-point game at 59-52 with 27 seconds remaining.  

After Nielsen missed a 3-pointer, Martinez drilled 2-of-4 free throws in the final 11 seconds as BU secured the 61-52 victory.