BELLEVUE, Neb. -- BJ Shelton led three players in double figures with 21 points as the Bellevue University men's basketball team defeated Waldorf University, 84-72, in North Star Athletic Association action Saturday evening at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The victory improved the Bruins to 16-10 on the season and 8-5 in the NSAA. Waldorf dropped to 10-14 overall and 5-7 in league play.
Shelton, who registered his fourth 20-point performance of the season, added seven rebounds in the win. Jalen Hall recorded 16 points and four rebounds. Richard Reed was the third BU player in double figures, finishing with 13 points along with four steals, two rebounds and a pair of assists. Brandon Fagin pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, to go along with eight points and two blocks.
Kaden Verdin paced the Warriors with 19 points and six rebounds. Falmata Tula added 11 points, three assists, and two steals.
The first half featured four ties and five lead changes as neither team could establish control in the early stages of the contest. Trailing by one, the Bruins closed the half on a 17-2 run to pull away for a 40-26 halftime advantage.
Reed and Shelton each scored nine points to lead the BU offense in the opening half. Brian Smith paced the Warriors with eight first-half points. The Bruins outshot WU, 56.5 to 40.7 percent in the first half and held a 16-11 edge in rebounds.
A layup by Hall capped an 8-2 BU run giving the Bruins a 52-32 lead with 16:20 left in the game. The Warriors countered with seven-straight points to cut the deficit to 13 points at 52-39 at the 14:19 mark.
After the Bruins built a 15-point advantage midway through the second half, the Warriors made it a single-digit game following an 11-2 run, drawing to within six points at 65-59 with 6:44 remaining. The Bruins countered with eight-consecutive points over the next minute to go back up by 14 points at 73-59.
The Warriors never got closer than 12 points the remainder of the contest as the Bruins cruised to the 84-72 victory.
The Bruins will travel to Jamestown, N.D. on Friday, Feb. 9 for a 7:30 p.m. NSAA matchup at the University of Jamestown.