BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Junior Taylor Cormier poured in a career-high 18 points to lead the Bellevue University women's basketball team to a 66-46 victory over Waldorf University Saturday afternoon in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The Bruins improved to 9-6 on the season with the win and 3-2 in the NSAA. Waldorf dropped to 2-13 overall and 0-4 in league play.
Cormier added four assists and two rebounds in the victory. Angeliece Tucker also registered a career high, finishing with 13 points.
Caletria Curtis recorded her team-leading fourth double-double of the season, tallying 13 points and 13 rebounds. Beth Walker matched Curtis' 13 rebounds while adding four assists and two points.
Ameh Ogbemudia led the Warriors with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Bruins held a commanding 22-5 advantage in second-chance points as BU grabbed 28 offensive rebounds and 55 total, compared to just 37 for WU.
Waldorf raced out to an 11-3 lead in the first three minutes of the contest, before the Bruins closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to close the gap to two points at 13-11. Curtis led BU in the opening quarter with six points and three rebounds.
Bellevue took its first lead of the contest at 14-13 on a 3-pointer by Ryleigh McCartney at the 8:44 mark of the second quarter. The Bruins extended the lead to five points on a pair of free throws by Alexandra Bader with 4:49 left before halftime. Waldorf battled back taking the lead on a 3-pointer by Samantha Birkes giving WU a 23-22 advantage at the 2:04 mark. Two 3-pointers by Tucker in the final minute helped give BU a 30-25 edge heading into the intermission.
Paced by eight points from Cormier, the Bruins scored the first 13 points in the opening two minutes of the third quarter to push the lead to 18 points at 43-25. WU trimmed the lead to single digits at 46-37, closing the half on a 7-0 run.
Waldorf never got closer than 10 points in the final quarter. The Bruins pushed the lead to 18 points following a Curtis layup with just over two minutes remaining in the contest. Two consecutive layups by Bailey Petzoldt provided the final 20-point margin, 66-46.
The Bruins return to action on Thursday-Friday, Dec. 29-30, when they host the four-team Fairfield Inn Holiday Classic at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. Bellevue will battle Midland University at 3 p.m. on Dec. 29 and College of St. Mary at 3 p.m. on Dec. 30.
