BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Led by Jamie Winkler's 19 points, the Bellevue University women's basketball team recorded a 71-48 victory over Haskell Indian Nations University in the Bruins' final game of the Fairfield Inn & Suites Bruin Classic Monday afternoon at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
With the win, the Bruins improved to 9-6 on the season. HINU fell to 4-13 overall.
Winkler finished 6-of-12 from the field and was 3-of-6 in 3-point attempts. She also added five rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals. Delaney VanBlaricon finished with a career-high 11 points and was 3-of-4 from behind the arc in just nine minutes of play. Taeha Pankey was the third Bruin in double figures, finishing with 10 points along with three assists.
Tiana Guillory was the lone Indian in double figures, finishing with 11 points and two rebounds.
Bellevue outshot HINU 43.6 to 34.5 percent and held a 13-4 edge in 3-pointers.
Winkler scored eight first-quarter points on 3-of-3 shooting as the Bruins established an 18-11 advantage after the opening 10 minutes of play. BU connected on 3-of-7 shots from behind the arc in the first frame.
After the Bruins scored the first five points of the second half to establish a 12-point lead, the Indians went on an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to three points at 25-22 with 4:32 remaining in the half. The two teams traded baskets the remainder of the half until a deep 3-pointer by Faith Ross just before the buzzer gave BU a 32-26 edge at the break.
Winkler led BU in the opening half with eight points, two rebounds, and a pair of assists. Ross chipped in six points and Pankey and Cassie Jones added five points apiece.
Haskell was led by Tiana Guillory's nine points and two rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.
Sparked by 3-pointers from Laura Jurek, Winkler, VanBlaricon, and Pankey, the Bruins opened the second half on a 16-4 run to take a 48-30 lead with 3:31 left in the third quarter. After trading baskets the remainder of the period, the Bruins took a 55-36 advantage heading into the final quarter.
A 3-pointer by Miranda Hennings gave BU a 26-point lead at 68-42 with 3:28 left in the contest before the Bruins cruised to the 71-48 victory.
The Bruins will host Nebraska Christian College at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4 in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.