DSU edges BU in OT as Bruins drop fourth-straight

DICKINSON, N.D. -- Dickinson State University held the Bellevue University women's basketball team to just 26% shooting, their lowest of the season, as the Blue Hawks held off the Bruins for a 64-61 overtime win in North Star Athletic Association play on Saturday afternoon at Scott Gymnasium.

With their fourth-straight loss, Bellevue falls to 10-7 on the year and 2-3 in NSAA play.
Dickinson State snapped a three-game losing streak of their own to improve to 6-10 and pick up their first NSAA (1-4) win of the season.

Bellevue jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead before Dickinson State answered with four-straight points, but a pair of buckets from Ashtyn Arnold sandwiched around a three from Brandi Dunn gave the Bruins a 14-6 lead.

A three from Gabby Moore early in the second quarter gave the Bruins their largest lead of the game, 19-8, before a 5-0 Dickinson run pulled the Blue Hawks closer. Bellevue made just two field goals the rest of the quarter as DSU outscored the Bruins 18-9 to pull within two, 28-26 at the half.

The Bruin lead bounced from 1-4 for the third quarter until Dylan Stedillie tied things up with a free throw with 50 seconds remaining. After Dunn hit a free throw for the Bruins, Samantha Oase closed the period with a basket to give the Blue Hawks their first lead of the game.
Dickinson led by as many as six in the fourth quarter, but Bellevue came back to tie things up at the 2:17 mark. A basket from Oase and a free throw from Tinley Pierson gave the Blue Hawks a three-point lead with 1:52 remaining.

Still trailing 54-51, Kaylee Denker drained a 3-pointer with 14.6 seconds on the clock to tie the game. Katherine Fox hit 1-of-2 free throws with 8.9 seconds left to put DSU back in front before Ashtyn Arnold drew a foul with 4.5 seconds left and hit the second of her free throws to tie the game again.

With 3.8 seconds left, Oase found herself at the line but missed her first shot before having the second waved off for a lane violation. Moore's off-balanced three-pointer at the buzzer fell short, and the game advanced to overtime.

Kayden Steele buried a three-pointer for the first points of the extra period before back-to-back layups from Moore and Arnold put BU in front 59-58. Two free throws from Arnold again put BU back on top before Oase sank a pair of free throws with 54 seconds to play.

Trailing by two with 13.6 seconds to play, Bellevue inbounded the ball, and Josias Mickens got a head of steam towards the basket, but her layup and the Blue Hawks held on for a three-point win.

Oase tallied a game-high 24 points to go along with 10 boards, and Steele poured in 16 and collected 14 rebounds to lead the Blue Hawks.

Arnold paced the Bruins with 17, while Dunn chipped in 16, and Moore added 10 to the loss. Mickens pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds.

Bellevue returns home to the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center on Friday, Jan. 17, when they host Dakota State University for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.