BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Jelani Johnson and James Parrott combined for 48 points, but the Bellevue University men's basketball team was outrebounded 45-23 losing 90-77 to Midland University on Wednesday night at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center in non-conference action.
Midland improved to 8-5 while ninth-ranked Bellevue fell to 7-4.
Johnson scored a career-high 26 points on 7-of-12 shooting and went 12-for-14 from the three-throw line while pulling down four rebounds. Parrott added 22 points including three 3-pointers. Other Bruins scoring in double-figures included Richard Shepherd with 11 while Ousseynou Diop chipped in 10.
BU shot 45.6 percent from the field, but were just 5-for-17 from three-point range (29.4 percent). MU shot 47.5 percent with eight 3-pointers and went 26-of-33 from the free-throw line.
The Warriors outrebounded the Bruins by 16 in the opening stanza, including 12 offensive rebounds to build a 41-29 halftime lead. Shepherd scored all 11 of his points in the first half to lead the Bruins offensively.
BU used a 9-0 run midway through the second half to cut a 16-point deficit down to seven, 59-52, but the Bruins never got any closer as the Warriors pulled away by making 12 of their last 14 free-throw attempts.
Midland was led by former Bruin Donald Jones who finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
BU will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 17 when they play at Dakota State University at 7:00 p.m. The Bruins defeated DSU 85-65 on Nov. 26 in Bellevue.
