BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team held Dakota State University scoreless for over seven minutes down the stretch and four Bruins scored in double figures as BU edged the Trojans, 74-71, Saturday afternoon in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The Bruins ended the regular season with an 18-12 overall record and an 11-5 mark in the NSAA. Bellevue finished third in the final NSAA regular-season standings. Dakota State fell to 12-18 on the season and 8-8 in league play.
Bellevue will host Presentation College (12-14, 8-8 NSAA) in a first-round contest on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Senior Caletria Curtis led the Bruins with 20 points, five steals, and three rebounds. Elexis Martinez added 15 points, four rebounds and two blocks. Ryleigh McCartney contributed with 13 points, three boards and a pair of assists. Morgan Cuffe was the fourth Bruin in double figures, finishing with 12 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Kennedy Wagner led the Trojans with 24 points and five assists. Britley Plautz added 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Paced by Curtis' nine points, the Bruins shot 63.2 percent in the first quarter, racing out to a 27-16 advantage. Martinez added seven points in the opening quarter.
The Trojans battled back in the second, outscoring BU 24-12 to take a 40-39 edge at the intermission. DSU hit 7-of-15 shots in the second and was 8-of-10 from the charity stripe.
Curtis (13) and Martinez (11) combined for 24 points to pace the BU offense in the first half. Plautz scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead DSU in the opening 20 minutes.
The Trojans opened the second half on a 10-3 run to take an eight-point lead at 50-42 with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. Six-straight points from Cuffe brought the Bruins to within four at 52-48 with 4:47 left in the third, before DSU settled for a 62-56 edge heading into the final stanza.
After DSU built a nine-point lead at 66-57 on Plautz' layup with 7:19 left in the game, the Bruins held the Trojans scoreless for over seven minutes, using a 15-0 run to take a 72-66 lead with 11 seconds remaining.
After a pair of free throws by Lindsey Vogl and a 3-pointer by Cassie Jones made it a one-point game, Beth Walker sealed the victory with two free throws, giving BU the 74-71 victory.
