Bellevue uses long ball to pull away from Midland

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Delaney VanBlaricon and Miranda Hennings drained seven three-pointers apiece and the Bellevue University women's basketball team sank 16 as a team in an 87-61 season-opening win over Midland University on Friday evening in the Chick-fil-A Classic.

Bellevue came out hot, shooting 47 percent overall and 5-of-9 from three in the first quarter as they built a 24-18 lead after one period. A pair of free throws from Olivia Bigger at the 2:38 mark gave Bellevue a 21-12 advantage, their largest of the first half.

The Bruins and Warriors were more evenly matched in the second quarter despite a dip in the offensive efficiency.

Midland took a 31-30 lead on a three ball by Sam Shepard with 3:22 to play in the quarter but Bellevue scored the final seven points of the half in the final 1:51 to take a 37-31 lead into halftime.

The Warriors cut the lead to two at the 6:46 mark on a pair of free throws from Sam Shepard but Bellevue again would answer with a run.

Back-to-back treys from Delaney VanBlaricon and Miranda Hennings pushed the Bruin advantage to 48-40 over the next minute. A pair of free throws each from Kaziah Terrell and VanBlaricon upped the lead to 12, 52-40 with 4:15 left in the third.

After seeing their lead cut to five, Bellevue rattled off five-straight points on a layup by Ashtyn Arnold and another three from VanBlaricon and ended the third quarter with a 58-50 lead.

Erin Prusa opened the fourth quarter scoring with a layup before consecutive treys from Hennings restored a 12-point BU lead, prompting a timeout by Midland.

The timeout did little to slow the Bruin momentum as Bellevue scored six of the next eight points to see the lead swell to 16, 70-54. The lead grew to as many as 26 which proved the final margin.

VanBlaricon poured in a career-high 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Hennings matched a career-best with 21 points, adding three rebounds and a pair of steals.

Prusa finished with 23 to lead Midland while Rubie Klausen tossed in 11 off the bench.

Bellevue's 16 three-pointers were just one off the school record while the seven three-pointers each from Hennings and VanBlaricon represented career-highs. Asha Scott and Faith Ross joined them in double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively, and both players recorded eight rebounds.

The Bruins turned the ball over just eight times to Midland's 15 and parlayed that into a 17-7 advantage in points off turnovers. BU out-rebounded the Warriors 45-38 on the night.

Bellevue returns to action at 5 p.m. tomorrow when the close out play in the Chick-fil-A Classic by hosting Bethany College, who fell 69-55 to Dickinson State University earlier in the day.