POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. -- The 14th-ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team shot a season-high 63 percent from the field as the Bruins defeated MidAmerica Nazarene University 98-85 Friday night in nonconference action at the College of the Ozarks McDonald's Cam Jam Classic at Keeter Gymnasium.
Bellevue has now won seven of its last eight games and improved to 11-3 overall while MidAmerica Nazarene dropped to 9-5.
Taylor Young paced the Bruins with 17 points, six rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal.
Lee Ames and Thomas Hammock each scored 13 points and made all six of their 3-pointers.
Darren Redstar recorded a career-high 12 points and five rebounds and Dimitri Chonis chipped in 10 points.
The Bruins shot 70.4 percent (19-of-27) from the field and held the Pioneers to just 42.9 percent shooting as BU took a 44-36 lead at halftime. Young made all five of his field goal attempts and paced the Bruins with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in the first half.
Leading by one, 19-18, BU went on a decisive 19-5 run midway through the opening half to take a 38-23 lead with five minutes left in the stanza. The Bruins led the remaining of the period as they took an eight-point lead at intermission.
BU led by as many as 14 points three times and held an advantage by at least six points the entire second half and made 10-of-14 free throws in the final two minutes en route to the 13-point win, 98-85.
The Bruins connected on eight of their 13 three-point attempts (61.5 percent) and outrebounded the Pioneers, 38-19. The BU bench also outscored MNU's bench by a commanding 51-10 advantage.
MNU was led by Luke Thomas' game-high 24 points and eight rebounds while Nate Launius added 20 points, five rebounds and two assists.
The Bruins will conclude tournament action tomorrow (Jan. 4) with a 2:00 p.m. contest against Ecclesia College (3-10).
Game Scoring
Bellevue...........................44-54--98
MidAmerica Nazarene...36-49--85
BU: Young, 17; Ames, 13; Hammock, 13; Redstar, 12; Chonis, 10; Strong, 8; Kalipinde, 7; Worthen-Harris, 6; Dotson, 5; Droll, 5; Sanders, 2.
MNU: Thomas, 24; Launius, 20; Clark, 11; Langrehr, 10; Syrie, 10; Newton, 8; Randall, 2.