Muhammad’s school-record 31 not enough in loss at BSC

Box Score
Frontier Standings

BISMARCK, N.D. -- Junior Zakiyyah Muhammad scored a school-record 31 points and recorded a double-double, but Bellevue University fell 81-73 to Bismarck State College in Frontier Conference women's basketball action Saturday at the BSC Armory.

The Mystics built a 15-point lead early in the third quarter before the Bruins answered with an 18-2 run to briefly move in front 57-56. BSC responded with an 11-0 spurt to open the fourth quarter and used late free throws to close out the win in a game that featured seven ties and 10 lead changes. With the loss, Bellevue drops to 7-9 overall and 3-8 in Frontier play. The Mystics improve to 3-12 on the season and 3-8 in the conference.

Muhammad led BU with a school-record 31 points and 10 rebounds, posting her team-leading fourth double-double of the season on 11-for-13 shooting, including 3-for-3 from behind the arc and 6-for-8 at the foul line. Karoline Ellison added 10 points and five rebounds, while Drasoni Kyles and Taylee Wharton each finished with nine points. Joy Beran contributed six points and eight rebounds, and Emma Russell chipped in with five points.

BSC was led by Kennedy Stormer's 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Piper Harris added 18 points and eight rebounds, while Natalie Decoteau scored 12 points off the bench on 4-for-5 shooting. Alionna Lawrence and Aleah McPherson added nine and eight points, respectively, combining for five made 3-pointers.

The Bruins shot 42.4 percent from the field (28-for-66) and 19.0 percent from 3-point range (4-for-21), while the Mystics finished at 40.0 percent overall (26-for-65) and 25.7 percent from long distance (9-for-35). BSC held a 20-for-25 (80.0 percent) edge at the free-throw line compared to BU's 13-for-20 (65.0 percent). Bellevue owned a 40-32 advantage in points in the paint and a 17-14 edge in bench scoring, but the Mystics turned BU turnovers into a 16-5 margin in points off miscues.

How It Happened

BSC opened the game with a 9-4 start, sparked by an early 3-pointer from Stormer and a layup by Lawrence. BU answered with a 10-3 stretch keyed by Muhammad, who hit a 3-pointer and a jumper to help the Bruins move in front 14-11. The teams traded blows the rest of the quarter, with five ties in the opening 10 minutes. McPherson's 3-pointer with four seconds left gave the Mystics a 24-21 lead after one.

Muhammad scored the first four points of the second quarter to put the Bruins briefly ahead 25-24, but BSC responded with the first extended run of the night. Harris and Decoteau combined for 10 straight points as part of a 17-3 stretch that turned a one-point deficit into a 34-25 Mystics advantage at the 5:30 mark. Bellevue twice cut the margin to six on baskets from Ellison and Wharton, but another late push—including free throws from Stormer and a layup by Kennedy Harter—sent BSC to halftime with a 49-39 lead after a 25-18 second-quarter scoring edge.

The Mystics pushed their advantage to 15 early in the third quarter. Stormer scored inside, and McPherson drilled a 3-pointer to make it 54-39 with 8:19 left in the period. From there, the Bruins mounted their biggest run of the night.

Muhammad and Kyles triggered an 18-2 response that flipped the game. Muhammad scored 12 points during the stretch, hitting a 3-pointer, converting a pair of trips at the line and finishing twice at the rim. Ellison's driving layup tied the game at 56-56 with 4:44 remaining in the third, and Kyles' free throw at the 4:14 mark gave BU its first lead of the half at 57-56.

The Mystics answered to regain control before the end of the period. Harris scored at the rim, and after Muhammad briefly put BU ahead again at the line, BSC used late baskets to edge back in front. The Mystics carried a 62-59 lead into the fourth quarter after outlasting the Bruins in a frame that Bellevue won 20-13.

BSC seized momentum back to start the fourth. Harris opened the quarter with a 3-pointer, and Stormer followed with a three-point play and another layup as the Mystics scored the first 11 points of the period to build a 70-59 cushion with just under seven minutes to play.

Beran scored three straight baskets in the lane to keep BU within striking distance, twice cutting the deficit to single digits. However, BSC continued to answer at the foul line. Free throws from Martodam and Harris, followed by a jumper from Decoteau at the 1:27 mark, stretched the margin to 80-68.

Muhammad hit a 3-pointer with 1:12 remaining to bring the Bruins within 80-71, but the Mystics managed the final minute at the line. Harris converted another free throw to restore a 10-point lead, and Russell closed the scoring with two free throws with 19 seconds left to produce the 81-73 final.

Top Performers

Bellevue University

Zakiyyah Muhammad — 31 points (school record), 10 rebounds, 11-for-13 FG, 3-for-3 3FG, 6-for-8 FT (fourth double-double of the season)

Karoline Ellison — 10 points, 5 rebounds

Drasoni Kyles — 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists

Taylee Wharton — 9 points, 3-for-3 FG, 2-for-2 FT

Joy Beran — 6 points, 8 rebounds

Bismarck State College

Kennedy Stormer — 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists

Piper Harris — 18 points, 8 rebounds

Natalie Decoteau — 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting, 2-for-2 from 3-point range

Alionna Lawrence — 9 points, 4 rebounds

Aleah McPherson — 8 points, 5 rebounds

Inside the Numbers

The game featured seven ties and 10 lead changes, with the Mystics' largest lead reaching 15 points at 54-39 early in the third quarter.

Bellevue held advantages in points in the paint (40-32) and bench scoring (17-14).

BSC finished with a 16-5 edge in points off turnovers and went 20-for-25 at the free-throw line, while BU was 13-for-20.

The Bruins shot 42.4 percent from the field but just 19.0 percent from 3-point range (4-for-21), while the Mystics hit nine 3-pointers and shot 80.0 percent at the stripe.

Up Next

The Bruins return home next Friday, Jan. 16, for a 5 p.m. league game against the University of Montana Western.