Bruins pull away in second half to defeat Tabor, 58–45

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BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team used a balanced scoring effort and a strong second half to earn a 58–45 victory over Tabor College on Friday evening at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown Classic inside the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. With the win, Bellevue improved to 2–1, while Tabor slipped to 2–2.

Joy Beran, Zakiyyah Muhammad, and Dru Zoucha each scored 13 points to pace the Bruins. Beran added eight rebounds and connected on 7-of-8 free throws, Muhammad tallied nine of her 13 points in the second quarter, and Zoucha knocked down 3-of-5 from three-point range, including a pair in the third period. Danielle Coyer contributed six points and eight rebounds off the bench, and Jhanel Coleman finished with four points and five boards.

Adri Hazelwood led Tabor with 12 points, while Landry O'Brien added 10 and Tayton Smith chipped in six. The Bluejays shot 32 percent from the field and just 1-of-12 from long range.

Bellevue shot 37.8 percent from the field and a sharp 83.3 percent (20-of-24) at the line while holding a 38–29 rebounding edge. The Bruins limited Tabor to eight third-quarter points and outscored the Bluejays 32–23 in the second half.

Bellevue jumped out to a 10–5 lead following a 6–0 run capped by a Coyer layup at the 3:40 mark. The Bluejays answered with an 8–0 stretch to close the quarter, taking a 13–10 lead after one. Coyer led the Bruins with four points in the period.

Tabor opened the quarter on a 5–0 run to push its lead to 18–10, its largest of the game. From there, Muhammad took over, scoring nine points in the period as the Bruins rallied. Bellevue closed the half on a 16–4 surge, fueled by Muhammad's driving layups and trips to the line, to take a 26–22 lead at halftime.

Zoucha sparked the Bruins from the perimeter, hitting two 3-pointers and scoring six points in the stanza. Bellevue used an 11–3 run midway through the quarter to extend its lead to 42–28. The Bruins outscored Tabor 16–8 in the third to take a commanding, 42-30 lead heading into the fourth.

Beran scored six of her 13 points in the final period as Bellevue maintained control throughout. The Bruins built their largest lead at 49–34 midway through the frame and converted 6-of-7 free throws in the final minutes to seal the 58–45 victory.

Up Next

The Bruins will conclude the tournament with a 5 p.m. contest tomorrow (Nov. 8) against Midland University (0–3).