Kalipinde leads No. 12 Bellevue to 103-65 win over Eagles

Given Kalipinde scored a career-high 27 points.
Given Kalipinde scored a career-high 27 points.

Box Score | MCAC Standings

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Given Kalipinde recorded a career-high 27 points to lead the Bellevue University men's basketball team to a convincing 103-65 win over Oklahoma Wesleyan University Saturday night in Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.

Bellevue, who never trailed in the game, improved to 20-5 overall and 7-2 in league play while Oklahoma Wesleyan dropped to 17-8 and 7-2 in the MCAC.

The Bruins shot a season-high 67.9 percent from the field with nine 3-pointers in the game.

Kalipinde made 10 of his 15 field goal attempts and added six rebounds, two assists and one steal while Thomas Hammock chipped in 15 points.

Isaiah Strong and Alex Worthen-Harris both scored 13 points as four players scored in double-figures. Worthen-Harris also pulled down five rebounds to go along with two steals.

Taylor Young finished with nine points, six assists and three rebounds.

With the opening half tied at 2-2, the Bruins used a 17-6 spurt to open up a 19-8 advantage capped off by a Young 3-pointer at the 12:57 mark.

The Eagles answered back with a 7-2 run to pull within six, 21-15, but that's the closest OWU got as BU outscored the Eagles 31-16 to close the stanza and take a 21-point halftime lead, 52-31.

Kalipinde and Worthen-Harris combined for 24 points to lead a BU offense that shot 66.7 (20-of-30) in the first half.

The Bruins led by 19 or points the entire second half as they cruised to the 38-point conference win, 103-65. BU also made 16 of its 23 field goals (69.6 percent) in the stanza.

Kalipinde scored 13 points and Hammock made four 3-pointers to pace BU in the final period.

The Eagles were led by Devin Harris' 15 points and three assists.

BU scored more than 100 points for the second-straight game and fourth time this season.

BU will welcome Waldorf College (13-7, 7-2 MCAC) to the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center on Tuesday, Feb. 11 for a 7:30 p.m. conference game.


Scoring Summary
Oklahoma Wesleyan...31-34--65
Bellevue.........................52-51--103

OWU: Harris, 15; Woods, 14; Cooks, 12; Greene, 6; Young, 5; Christensen, 3; James, 3; Jahn, 3; Moncado, 2; Stark, 2; Miller.

BU: Kalipinde, 27; Hammock, 15; Worthen-Harris, 13; Strong, 13; Young, 9; Ames, 8; Chonis, 5; Dotson, 4; Sellers, 4; Sanders, 3; Perry, 2.