VCSU hands Bruins 80-62 Frontier setback

Box Score
Frontier Standings

MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Valley City State University used a decisive second-quarter run and efficient perimeter shooting to post an 80-62 Frontier Conference women's basketball win over Bellevue University on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Auditorium.

With the loss, the Bruins fell to 9-12 overall and 5-11 in Frontier Conference play. The Vikings improved to 7-13 on the season and 4-12 in league action. Valley City State shot 45.9 percent from the field and 44.4 percent (8-for-18) from 3-point range while limiting BU to 38.2 percent shooting and 4-for-16 from deep. VCSU also finished with a 20-5 edge in assists and committed just 10 turnovers compared to 21 for the Bruins, who owned a 36-32 rebounding advantage.

Zakiyyah Muhammad led BU with 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Joy Beran added 17 points, six boards, and five assists, and Jhanel Coleman chipped in 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Drasoni Kyles contributed five points, five rebounds, and five assists, and Karoline Ellison finished with six points, four rebounds, and five assists.

Valley City State placed four players in double figures. Tiyana Schwinghammer and Ellie Braaten each scored 18 points, with Braaten going 5-for-6 from long range and adding five rebounds and six assists. Abby Aslesen recorded 13 points and nine boards, while JayCee Richter totaled 10 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block. Olivia Backus added eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

How It Happened

Valley City State controlled the early stages, scoring the game's first six points and building an 18-8 lead with 3:50 left in the opening quarter. Bellevue responded with a 10-2 stretch to close the period, getting baskets from Beran and Muhammad and a late score from Coleman to pull within 20-18 after one.

The Bruins briefly drew level at 20-20 on Beran's jumper at the 9:42 mark of the second quarter, the only tie of the afternoon. The Vikings answered immediately with a 9-0 run, highlighted by a Braaten 3-pointer and five points from Schwinghammer, to move in front 29-20. VCSU maintained at least a three-possession lead the rest of the half and took a 44-33 advantage into the locker room.

In the third quarter, the Vikings steadily extended their margin. A 13-3 stretch pushed the lead to 57-36 with 4:17 left in the period, the largest gap of the game at 21 points. Free throws from Muhammad and a late basket by Beran helped BU trim the deficit to 62-48 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Vikings opened the final frame with a 65-50 lead before the Bruins made one last push. Muhammad scored on back-to-back drives, and Kyles connected from beyond the arc to cap a 7-0 BU spurt that cut the deficit to 65-57 with 6:17 to play. The Vikings responded with four straight points from Richter and Schwinghammer and, after a 3-pointer by Coleman made it 69-60, closed the contest on an 11-2 run. Aslesen's late scoring inside and free throws from Richter and Braaten helped VCSU secure the 80-62 final.

Top Performers

Bellevue University

Zakiyyah Muhammad: 18 points, 6-for-13 FG, 1-for-4 3FG, 5-for-6 FT, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks

Joy Beran: 17 points, 6-for-11 FG, 5-for-7 FT, 6 rebounds, 5 assists

Jhanel Coleman: 10 points, 4-for-9 FG, 1-for-2 3FG, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals

Karoline Ellison: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists

Drasoni Kyles: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists

Valley City State University

Tiyana Schwinghammer: 18 points, 8-for-14 FG, 1-for-2 3FG, 1-for-3 FT, 1 steal

Ellie Braaten: 18 points, 6-for-12 FG, 5-for-6 3FG, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal

Abby Aslesen: 13 points, 5-for-12 FG, 3-for-5 FT, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

JayCee Richter: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 block

Olivia Backus: 8 points, 2-for-4 FG, 2-for-3 3FG, 2-for-2 FT

Inside the Numbers

VCSU held a 16-11 edge in points off turnovers and a 14-10 advantage in second-chance points despite both teams finishing with seven offensive rebounds.

The Vikings outscored BU 32-26 in the paint and 15-16 in bench points (Bruins 16, VCSU 15).

VCSU's only tie was at 20-20 early in the second quarter; the Vikings never trailed and led by as many as 21 points.

BU went 16-for-23 at the free-throw line (69.6 percent), while VCSU finished 16-for-26 (61.5 percent).

Up Next

The Bruins will return home next Friday, Feb. 6, when they host (RV) Carroll College beginning at 5 p.m. in the BU Fieldhouse.