BU torches CSM in season-opening 77-47 victory
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Zakiyyah Muhammad and Joy Beran recorded double-doubles as five Bruins scored in double figures in a season-opening 77-47 victory for the Bellevue University women's basketball team over College of Saint Mary.
Muhammad poured in a team-leading 12 and pulled down 10 rebounds on the afternoon, while Beran added 10 points and 10 boards. The duo was joined in double figures by Jhanel Coleman, Danielle Coyer, and Kaylee Denker, the former two scoring 11 apiece and Denker adding 10.
Emma Russell chipped in eight off the bench and shared game-high assist honors with Drasoni Kyles with four apiece.
Play was tight early as both teams struggled to find much offensive rhythm, though Bellevue delivered the first run. In a span of 2:35, BU out-scored the Flames 11-2 to turn a one-point advantage into a 21-11 lead with 2:12 left in the quarter.
Bellevue led 24-15 after one and stretched the lead to 20 points with an 11-0 run in the opening 2:53 of the second quarter. Haley Debuse finally put a stop to the run with a jumper at the 6:45 mark, and the Bruins scored just two more points, a layup from Beran, over the final 7:07 of the half. The defense stayed strong, allowing just five second-quarter points, and Bellevue carried a 37-20 advantage into the locker room.
CSM thrice managed to cut the deficit to 15 in the third quarter before a 14-0 Bruin run, capped by five-straight points from Coyer, gave BU a 59-30 lead with under a minute to play.
Bellevue grew the lead to as many as 33 with a three-pointer from Coleman with 3:41 to play en route to securing a 30-point victory.
Jai'La Porter led the Flames with 17 points and pulled down a team-high six rebounds, while Madelyn Gaughen chipped in 13 for CSM to go along with five boards.
Bellevue out-shot the Flames 44-27% on the night, going 10-30 from deep to CSM's 4-23 effort and 7-10 at the line to 9-17 for the visitors.
The Bruins hit the road on Thursday, Oct. 30, for a 5:30 p.m. tip against Mount Mercy University from the Hennessey Rec Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
