VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- Caletria Curtis had a game-high 17 points and eight rebounds but the Bellevue University women's basketball team fell, 62-54, to #17 Valley City State University on Saturday afternoon in North Star Athletic Association play at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse.
Both teams brought five game winning streaks into Saturday's action but it would be the home side that saw theirs extended to six games. Valley City improved to 18-3 overall (10-2 NSAA) with the win while Bellevue fell to 14-11 (7-4 NSAA) on the year.
The Bruins brought their swarming defense early on as they forced VCSU into seven turnovers in the game's first five and a half minutes.
The game was scoreless through nearly the first three minutes when Ryleigh McCartney broke the ice at the 7:19 mark. With the scored tied at 4-4, Bellevue used back-to-back baskets from Curtis and Elexis Martinez to double the Vikings up early. The advantage varied from two-to-four points for the remainder of the first quarter before Bellevue took a 14-11 lead after one period of play.
Valley City came out strong in the second quarter, opening the period on a 15-4 run before BU's only three-pointer of the game, by Alexandra Bader, trimmed the Viking lead to 26-21 with 3:46 to go.
Turnovers continued to mount for the Vikings but their 12 first half turnovers and a 10-0 BU advantage in points off turnovers didn't seem to matter as VCSU shot 52.2 percent from the floor and 75.0 percent from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes. BU got as close as four late in the second quarter but the Vikings closed the half on an 8-0 run to take a 37-25 lead into the intermission.
Curtis led all players with 12 points at the break. Lexi Lennon paced VCSU with 10 and Alli Vandal added nine in the first half.
Bellevue experienced offensive woes to begin the third quarter. After scoring the first basket of the period BU went over four minutes without a points as Valley City stretched their lead to 46-28 on a Kennedy Henningsgard three-pointer with 4:59 showing on the clock.
BU scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to get the VCSU lead to single digits, 51-43, for the first time since towards the end of the first half. The Bruins continued to chip away at the lead and by the 2:53 they trailed by just five points after a basket by Jamie Winkler made it 57-52.
It remained a two possession game into the final minute when a pair of free throws from Curtis cut the lead to just four points, 58-54, with 55 seconds to go. BU corralled the rebound on the defensive end but a steal and a pair of free throws by Lennon restore the Vikings lead to six with 16 seconds left. A missed three-pointer by Bellevue and two more VCSU free throws accounted for the final margin.
Curtis led the Bruins, who were out-rebounded 33-29 in this one, with eight boards. She also scored a game-high 17 points. Martinez scored 11 points and Shayla Dean chipped in eight points and added five steals.
Lennon matched Curtis 17-point performance and added four rebounds. Vandal and Henningsgard each poured in 13 points while Makenzie Huber dropped in 10 and pulled down six boards.
The Bruins, after winning two of three on the road trip, return home on Friday, Feb. 2 as they host Presentation College at 5:30 p.m. at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
