YORK, Neb. -- The 19th-ranked Bellevue University (1-0) men's basketball team opened the 2013-14 season with a 91-85 win over Kansas Wesleyan University (0-1) Friday night at the York College Classic at the Freeman Center.
Given Kalipinde led the Bruins with 20 points and eight rebounds while Lee Ames added 19 points and pulled down five rebounds.
Taylor Young finished with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists and Thomas Hammock scored 13 points with four rebounds. Alex Worthen-Harris chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds.
Russell Droll notched a game-high 10 rebounds.
Leading by one, 24-23, the Bruins closed the opening period on a 23-13 run to take a 47-36 lead at halftime.
Trailing 65-53 midway through the second half, the Coyotes outscored BU 26-12 to take a two-point lead (79-77). The Bruins responded with a 5-2 spurt and made all seven of their free throw attempts in the final minute to post the six-point season-opener win.
The Coyotes shot 44.8 percent from the field, including an 8-of-11 mark from three-point range. BU finished with a 37.7 shooting percentage and also held a 27-17 edge in bench points as well as a 20-8 advantage in second chance points.
KWU was paced by Michael Johnson's 28 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
The Bruins will play in-state foe Concordia (Neb.) University tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. in their final game of the York Classic.
Scoring Summary
Bellevue.....................47-44--91
Kansas Wesleyan...36-49--85
BU: Kalipinde, 20; Ames, 19; Young, 15; Hammock, 13; Worthen-Harris, 10; Dotson, 3; Droll, 3; Sanders, 3; Sellers,3; Perry, 2.
KWU: Johnson, 28; Borovetz, 16; Lunz, 13; Owen, 9; Stein, 9; Pasold, 8; Long, 2.
