BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Freshman Faith Ross scored a career-high 26 points to lead the Bellevue University women's basketball team to a 97-62 win over Dickinson State University Friday night in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The Bruins improved to 12-6 on the season with the victory and 2-0 in the NSAA. DSU dropped to 7-10 overall and 0-2 in league play.
Ross added six rebounds and three assists in the win as BU shot 55.9 percent from the field. Morgan Cuffe registered 18 points, four rebounds, and four steals. Jamie Winkler collected 16 points and six assists in the victory. Stephanie Erland was the fourth Bruin in double figures, finishing with a career-high 11 points, along with two rebounds.
Anna Jofresa was the lone Blue Hawk in double figures, finishing with 19 points, along with three rebounds, and three assists. Three DSU players fouled out in the contest.
The trio of Winkler, Ross, and Cuffe scored all 19 of BU's points in the first quarter as the Bruins took a 19-13 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play. Winkler led BU with nine points in the first quarter, which featured five ties and two lead changes.
Capped by a layup from Ross, the Bruins opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run to take a 29-15 lead with seven minutes left in the half.
After a pair of free throws by Elexis Martinez gave the Bruins their largest lead of the first half at 43-23 with 1:45 left before intermission, the Blue Hawks scored the final six points of the period to cut the deficit to 14 at 43-29 at the break.
The Bruins, who shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, were led by Cuffe and Ross, who both scored 14 first-half points. Winkler added nine points and Martinez chipped in with five points and five rebounds.
DSU was led by Jofresa in the first half with 15 points, including four 3-pointers.
After Ross's fifth 3-pointer of the game gave BU a 61-37 edge with 4:56 left in the third stanza, DSU closed the quarter on a 7-4 run as the Bruins took a 65-44 lead heading into the final quarter.
The Blue Hawks never got closer than 22 points in the fourth quarter as BU shot 68.8 percent from the field to cruise to the 35-point victory.
The Bruins will entertain Presentation College in NSAA action Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.