Vikings escape with 64-62 win over Bruins

Box Score
NSAA Standings

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bruins hit just one field goal in the final 5:42 of the contest as Valley City State University escaped with a 64-62 win over Bellevue University in North Star Athletic Association women's basketball action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

The loss, which marked the end of the regular season, dropped the Bruins to 11-16 on the season and 4-8 in the NSAA. VCSU improved to 13-13 overall and 7-5 in league play. 

Freshman Kaylee Denker led the Bruins with a career-high 27 points, which tied for the third-highest single-game scoring total in school history. Brandi Dunn added 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals. 

Gabby Moore finished with 11 points and three assists in the loss. 

The Vikings were paced by Hailey Roberts' 20 points and seven rebounds. Ashlyn Dimert added 14 points and six boards. Jaycee Richter finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. 

Neither team could establish control in the early going as both teams exchanged five-point runs on two occasions in the opening quarter. 

Both teams shot over 50 percent in the opening 10 minutes of play as VCSU took a 23-20 lead in the fast-paced first quarter. Dunn led BU in the first period with eight points, while Denker and Delaney VanBlaricon added six points each. Roberts paced the Vikings with nine first-quarter points. 

Denker scored four points in a 6-0 BU run as the Bruins took a 26-25 lead with eight minutes remaining before the intermission. VCSU answered with a 6-0 surge to pull ahead by seven points at 35-28 at the 3:25 mark. 

BU held the Vikings scoreless the rest of the half, and BU got a 3-pointer from Dunn to make it 35-31 at the halftime break. The two teams were a combined 1-for-15 in the final three minutes of the first half. 

Denker (12) and Dunn (11) combined for 23 of the Bruins' 31 points in the first half. Roberts led the Vikings with 12 first-half points.  

After the Vikings extended the margin to eight points (42-34) following a 3-pointer by Adriana Torres, Denker scored seven straight points in a 9-0 BU run as the Bruins gained a 43-42 advantage with four minutes left in the third. 

Neither team managed a field goal for the remainder of the third frame until a layup by Moore gave BU a 50-45 lead with one minute remaining in the third. Two free throws by Diemert made it 50-47 heading into the final frame. 

After the Bruins used a 5-0 run to create an eight-point cushion, the Vikings responded with nine straight to gain a one-point lead at 58-57 following a layup by Torres with 1:42 left in the game. Diemert made 1-of-2 free throws to give VCSU a 59-57 edge with 20 seconds left in the contest. 

After a BU turnover, Roberts drained a pair of free throws to make it a four-point game (61-57) with 10 seconds remaining. 

Ashtyn Arnold drilled a 3-pointer from the corner to pull BU to within a point at 61-60 with six seconds left. 

A pair of free throws by Ellie Braaten gave the Vikings a 63-60 lead. Moore countered by making 1-of-2 free throws to make it 63-61 with 3.6 ticks left on the clock. After Roberts made 1-of-2 free throws, Arnold made 1-of-2, and the Bruins maintained possession on the second miss, but could not get a shot off as the Vikings escaped with the 64-62 victory.  

Times and pairings for the NSAA Tournament will be announced later this weekend.