LAKE WALES, Fla. -- The fourth-ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team fell 90-79 at 19th-ranked Warner University Sunday evening at the Turner Athletic Center.
Warner improved to 5-1 while Bellevue fell to 4-3. All three of the Bruins' losses this season have came to teams ranked in the top 20 of the coaches' poll.
James Parrott led BU in scoring for the fourth time this season, registering 20 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double. Other Bruins scoring in double-figures included Jeremy Arrington, Jelani Johnson and Richard Shepherd who each scored 15 points apiece.
Despite shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from behind the arc in the opening stanza, the Bruins found themselves trailing 47-38 at halftime. BU was plagued by 10 turnovers and gave up 12 offensive rebounds. WU recorded 18 points off Bruin turnovers and also scored 10 second chance points in the first half.
After the Bruins cut their deficit down to four, 42-38, on an Arrington three-pointer with 50 seconds remaining in the opening half, the Royals scored the final five points to take a nine-point lead into intermission. Arrington led BU with 14 first half points.
BU managed to cut the Royals' lead down to seven, 63-56 with 11:19 left in the second half, but that's the closest the Bruins got as WU pulled away for the 11-point win.
The Bruins shot 48.2 percent (27-for-56), but were just 18-for-32 (56.3 percent) from the free-throw line. WU made 47.7 of its field goal attempts, including an 11-20 (55 percent) clip from beyond the arc. The Royals also outscored the Bruins' bench by a commanding 47-7 advantage.
WU was paced by Bryce Kachinski who registered a game-high 29 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists and two steals off the bench.
The Bruins will make their home debut on Friday-Saturday, Nov. 25-26 when they host the Hampton Inn Thanksgiving Classic.
