BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The 12th-ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team defeated No. 16 College of the Ozarks 92-82 in Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference action Saturday night at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
Bellevue won its fourth-straight game and improved to 17-4 overall and 4-1 in the MCAC while College of the Ozarks fell to 14-6 and 2-3 in conference action.
Lee Ames posted career-highs in points (22) and rebounds (7) while Taylor Young registered 19 points, four assists and two steals.
Thomas Hammock made five 3-pointers and scored 17 points and Alex Worthen-Harris added 11 points and made all five of his shot attempts.
Given Kalipinde chipped in four points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and four steals.
With the first half tied at 19-19, the Bruins outscored the Bobcats 33-18 over the final 12 minutes to open a 15-point lead at halftime, 52-37. Ames and Hammock combined for six 3-pointers to pace the offense that shot 62.5 percent in the opening period.
COFO used a 14-6 spurt to pull within one, 63-62, at the 12:39 mark in the second half, but that's the closest the Bobcats got as BU finished the remaining of the game on a 29-20 run to win, 92-82.
Nathane Simniok scored a career-high 38 points and pulled down eight rebounds to pace the Bobcats.
The Bruins will travel to Lawrence, Kan. on Friday, Jan. 31 for a conference game at Haskell Indian Nations University (6-13, 2-3 MCAC). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Tony Coffin Sports Complex.
Scoring Summary
Ozarks.....37-45--82
Bellevue...52-40--92
COFO: Simniok, 38; Daniels, 13; Santiago, 13; Leonard, 8; Paschke, 4; Reid, 3; Murray, 2; Selby, 1.
BU: Ames, 22; Young, 19; Hammock, 17; Worthen-Harris, 11; Dotson, 9; Strong, 6; Sanders, 4; Kalipinde, 4.
