Second-half scoring runs propel BU over Vikings, 70-65

Box Score
NSAA Standings

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team used a pair of big second-half scoring runs to propel the Bruins to a 70-65 victory over Valley City State University Saturday afternoon in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

The Bruins, who have won four straight, improved to 9-3 on the season and 2-0 in the NSAA. VCSU fell to 8-5 overall and 0-1 in league play. 

Josias Mickens led the Bruins with a career-high 17 points, along with eight rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Gabby Moore added 16 points, three rebounds, and two blocks. Ashtyn Arnold recorded her team-leading fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Zakiyyah Muhammad also registered a double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds. 

Ashlyn Diemert and Abby Aslesen paced the Vikings with 18 points each. Aslesen added 12 rebounds for a double-double. Jaycee Richter finished with 13 points and five boards.  

After trailing the majority of the first quarter, six straight points by Arnold gave BU its first lead of the contest at 19-17 with 39 seconds remaining in the opening 10 minutes of play. A free throw by Ellie Braaten made it 19-18 in favor of Bellevue heading into the second stanza. Arnold and Mickens led BU in the opening quarter with six points apiece. Olivia Backus scored eight points for the Vikings, going 4-for-4 in the first frame. 

Aslesen and Diemert combined for all 13 points in a 13-0 run in the first four minutes of the second quarter as VCSU jumped out to a 31-19 lead. The Bruins answered with six straight to cut the deficit to six at 31-25 at the four-minute mark. Mauritzson scored seven points in a 9-4 VCSU run to push the advantage to double digits at 40-29 with one minute remaining in the half. Three Bruin free throws in the final minute made it 40-32 at the intermission. 

Arnold, Mickens, and Muhammad scored eight points each to lead the BU offense in the opening half. Aslesen paced the Vikings in the first half with 11 points, six rebounds, and two blocks. Diemert and Backus added nine and eight points, respectively. 

After a bucket by Arnold to open the second half sliced the lead to six points, the Vikings responded with seven straight, capped by a 3-pointer from Diemert to make it 47-34 with 7:28 left in the third. BU responded with a 17-0 run sparked by 3-pointers from Brandi Dunn, Danielle Coyer, and Mickens to give BU a four-point lead at 51-47, holding VCSU scoreless for over five minutes. The teams traded baskets to close out the third as BU took a 53-49 lead heading into the final frame. 

After VCSU scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to gain a one-point edge, Moore scored seven points in a 9-0 Bruin run as BU took a 62-54 lead with five minutes remaining in the contest. A pair of triples by Aslesen and Diemert brought the Vikings to within four points at 66-62 at the two-minute mark. After a layup by Dru Zoucha, Richter drained a 3-pointer to bring the Vikings to within three (68-65) with 13 seconds left. Moore nailed a pair of free throws to seal the 70-65 victory.  

The Bruins will head to Emporia, Kan., next Tuesday, Dec. 17, for a 5:30 p.m. exhibition contest against NCAA Division II Emporia State University.