BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Junior Jalen Hall scored 25 points to lead the 22nd-ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team to a 74-57 victory over Viterbo University Friday night in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
With their ninth-straight victory, the league-leading Bruins improved to 15-7 on the season and 7-2 in the NSAA. Viterbo fell to 13-9 overall and 5-4 in conference play.
Hall added two rebounds, two assists and two steals in the victory. Mike Cardenas and Blake Wilder added 12 points each as BU outshot the V-Hawks 48.1 percent to 34.4 percent.
VU, which hit just 3-of-17 3-pointers, was led by Ethan Haberman and Jake Bamke who scored 15 points apiece.
Viterbo missed its first 12 shots from the field and was held scoreless for the first eight minutes of the game as BU raced out to a 14-0 lead.
The V-Hawks shot just 23.5 percent in the opening half and BU drained 7-of-11 3-pointers to grab a commanding 40-17 halftime advantage. Nick Hilton and Cardenas led the Bruins in the first half with nine points apiece as both connected on three 3-pointers.
Haberman paced the V-Hawks in the opening half with five points and three rebounds.
After a layup by Wilder gave the Bruins a 27-point lead at 44-17 at the 18:29 mark, the V-Hawks went on a 10-1 run to close the gap to 18 points at 45-27 with just over 13 minutes left in the contest.
A pair of free throws by Bamke sliced the lead to 15 points (48-33) midway through the second period.
Hall scored all nine of BU's points over a three-minute span as the Bruins maintained an 18-point margin at the 7:48 mark.
The V-Hawks never got closer than 16 points the remainder of the contest as BU cruised to the 74-57 victory.
The Bruins will travel to Aberdeen, S.D. on Friday, Jan. 27, for a 7:30 p.m. NSAA contest at Presentation College.