CLINTON, Iowa -- The 13th-ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team shot just 37.7 percent from the field as William Woods University handed the Bruins a 76-63 loss Saturday afternoon at the Ashford University Classic at Kehl Arena.
Bellevue fell to 4-3 on the season with the loss, while WWU improved to 2-5 overall.
Darius Robinson led three Bruins in double figures with 17 points. Michael Dotson finished with 13 points and four rebounds. Shawn Tarver recorded his first double-double of the season, registering 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Logan Decker (21) and D.J. Hostins (19) combined for 40 points to pace the Owl offense.
The Bruins raced out to an early 7-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game before WWU went on a 9-1 run to grab a 9-8 lead.
After a Tarver jumper pulled BU to within one point at 32-31 with 2:06 remaining in the opening period, the Owls closed the half on a 10-2 run to take a 42-33 lead at the intermission.
WWU scored the first 13 points of the second half to build a commanding 55-33 advantage with 16:22 remaining in the contest. The Bruins responded with five 3-pointers during a 20-2 run to pull to within two points at 57-55 at the 9:27 mark.
A Hoskins' 3-pointer capped a 13-1 Owl run, giving WWU a 70-56 lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the game. A 3-point play by Dotson pulled BU to within 11 points at 70-59 but the Bruins missed seven 3-point attempts in the final four minutes as WWU notched the 76-63 win.
Bellevue will host the Hampton Inn Thanksgiving Classic this Friday-Saturday, Nov. 23-24 at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
