BELLEVUE, Neb. -- A spirited fourth quarter by the (RV) Bellevue University women's basketball team wasn't enough to overcome a 19-point deficit to Midland University as the Bruins dropped their first game of the season, 86-74, on Thursday evening at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
Records:
(RV) Bellevue: 3-1
Midland: 2-0
Recap: Midland 86, (RV) Bellevue 74
Midland shot 60 percent from the field in the first half and hit on 5-of-12 three-point attempts to build an 11-point advantage at the intermission, 43-32.
The Warriors held BU to just three points in the third quarter before Faith Ross knocked down a trifecta at the 4:15 mark to cut a 16-point deficit to 51-38.
Midland led by as many as 22 points with 52 seconds left in the third. Jamie Winkler drained a three at the end of the quarter to give Bellevue a hint of momentum headed into the final period.
The Bruins out-scored Midland 20-12 in the first 7:16 of the fourth quarter to pull within 11 points.
Bellevue got as close as nine, 81-72, following a pair of free throws from Taeha Pankey with 46 seconds left but were unable to pull any closer.
Elexis Martinez scored a game-high and career-high tying 25 points, narrowly missing a double-double as she finished with nine rebounds. She was 9-of-15 from the floor and 7-of-9 from the free throw line.
Faith Ross and Taeha Pankey each dropped in 13 for the Bruins while Morgan Cuffe scored 10 to go along with five rebounds and four steals.
The Warriors picked up a 16-6 advantage in second chance points to go along with a 16-15 offensive rebounding advantage and 38-32 rebounding advantage in total.
Maddie Egr led Midland with 16 points while Maddie Meadows tallied 14 and a team-best seven rebounds, including knocking down 4-of-7 threes, many of which were momentum stoppers.
Lexis Haase and Katy Gathje each tossed in 11 for Midland to join Egr and Meadows in double figures.
Midland out-shot BU 51.8-40.4 percent for the game.
Up Next:
Bellevue squares off with (RV) Oklahoma Wesleyan University (3-0) tomorrow afternoon in the BU/NCC Classic. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. inside the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.