Tigers snap BU's streak with 76-75 win

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BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team saw its five-game winning streak snapped as visiting Doane University escaped with a 76-75 victory over the Bruins in the final game of the Four Points by Sheraton Bruin Classic at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

The loss dropped the Bruins to 10-4 on the season. Doane improved to 10-3 overall with the victory. 

Gabby Moore and Ashtyn Arnold scored 20 points apiece to lead the BU offense. Moore added four assists and two rebounds. Arnold pulled down four rebounds and dished out five assists. Kaylee Denker was the third Bruin in double figures, finishing with 14 points along with four rebounds and three assists. 

Kaylee Klover (23) and Macy Holtz (20) combined for 43 points to pace the Tiger attack. Klover was 9-of-14 from the field and added 17 boards for a double-double. Megan Chambers registered 15 points and five assists, and Maddie Portwine chipped in with 12 points, three boards, and two steals.  

The Bruins drained three early triples and hit five of their first six shots to ignite a 13-2 run to start the contest. After Doane answered with seven straight to pull to within four, the Bruins went on a 7-2 spurt to gain a 20-11 advantage with 3:29 left in the first. Eight points from Klover helped the Tigers close the opening stanza on an 8-2 run to make it a three-point contest at 22-19 after the opening 10 minutes of play.

Doane opened the second frame on a 12-3 run to take a 31-25 lead with 5:51 left before the break. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Moore fueled a 13-0 Bruin scoring burst as BU regained the edge at 38-31 at the 2:19 mark. The Tigers closed the half on a 7-2 surge to make it 40-38 at the intermission. 

Moore led the Bruins in the opening half with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. She also added four assists. Denker added eight points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe.

Klover recorded a double-double in the first half with 17 points and 12 rebounds, along with a pair of assists. 

After Doane scored six straight points to pull ahead, 50-44, midway through the third quarter, the Bruins closed the frame on a 14-6 spurt, aided by seven straight from Arnold and a bucket by Denker at the buzzer to give BU a 58-56 lead heading into the final frame. 

After a layup by Klover to open the fourth tied the contest at 58-all, the Bruins went on a 9-2 flurry sparked by a 3-pointer from Moore to take a 67-60 lead with 7:12 left in the game. Doane answered with six straight to pull to within one point at 71-70 at the 3:17 mark. After trading the next four buckets, a floater in the lane by Klover gave the Tigers a 76-75 advantage with 23 seconds remaining in regulation. After a missed Bruin jumper, Addie Hatcliff missed a pair of free throws with less than a second remaining, giving Bellevue one more possession. A block by Holtz on Moore's 3-point attempt gave Doane the one-point victory.  

The Bruins return to conference action this Saturday, Jan. 4, when they travel to Madison, S.D., for a 3 p.m. contest at sixth-ranked Dakota State University.