BELLEVUE, Neb. - On Wednesday, Dec. 10 the eighth-ranked Bellevue University basketball team will host the University of Nebraska at Kearney, an NCAA Division II member. The Bruins take a 8-2 record into the match-up while the Lopers enter the contest with an overall record of 4-1, 2-0 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
The game will be the fourth that Bellevue has played outside the realm of their NAIA Division II peers. The game will mark the second consecutive year that the intra-state schools have met on the hardwood and the 21st time overall in a series that dates back to 1978. Nebraska-Kearney holds an 18-2 edge in the all-time series.
LAST MEETING:
Bellevue won last year's match-up by a score of 73-65 in front of 813 at the Health and Sports Center in Kearney. Given Kalipinde led four Bellevue players in double-figures with 14 points to go along with four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Lee Ames (12), Taylor Young (11), and Isaiah Strong (10) each netted double-digits in support of Kalipinde.
The opening period featured seven ties and five lead changes. Trailing 30-28, the Bruins closed the stanza on a 9-0 run to take a 37-30 lead at halftime. BU shot 48.3 percent from the field and made four 3-pointers.
The Bruins led the entire second half en route to the eight point win. Kalipinde scored 12 of his 14 points in the second period to pace BU.
LAST GAME:
Bellevue defeated Dakota State University 68-64 on Saturday in Madison, S.D.
Junior Percy Lemle (Carson, Calif.) scored a game co-high 19 points and fell just one assist short of a double-double. Freshman Yusuf Shehata (Tucson, Ariz.) joined Lemle in double figures with 14 points to go along with five rebounds. Senior Alex Worthen-Harris (Phoenix, Ariz.) pulled down a game-best 12 rebounds to go along with seven points for the eighth-ranked Bruins.
Bellevue found themselves in possession of a 10-point lead at the 2:19 mark of the first half on a layup by Lemle. However, from that point forward, Dakota State out-scored the visiting Bruins 7-2 to close within five at halftime.
Senior Thomas Hammock (Compton, Calif.) scored nine points, hitting on three of his nine attempts from beyond the arc. Senior Olutola Olushola (Missouri City, Texas), fresh off a career-high 22 points against Science and Arts of Oklahoma scored six points and joined Worthen-Harris in leading the Bruins with a pair of steals on the defensive end.
Miguel Sansavour led Dakota State with 19 points and hauled in nine boards, narrowly missing a double-double.
Six other players scored at least six points to help the balanced Trojan attack. Bryant Allen and Ian Barse each poured in nine while Derek Meger added eight points. Seth Cavanaugh (7), Adam Hofer (6), and Adam Fideler (6) also scored in supporting roles for Dakota State.
The Bellevue bench, as it has numerous times this season, out-scored the opposition by a count of 33-15 as the Bruins' 10-man rotation continues to wear down opponents.
The Bruins shot just 39.7 percent (25-63) from the field but were able to win for the first time when shooting 40 percent or less from the field. Bellevue did make 11 three-pointers, going 11-for-28 (39.3%), to improve to 8-0 when making at least six threes in a game.
Nebraska-Kearney defeated Southwest Baptist University 80-62 on Saturday.
Junior forwards Connor Beranek and Ethan Brozek combined for 40 points and 14.
Shooting over 50% from the field for the fourth time this season, the Lopers never trailed as a small Bearcats squad had no answer for Brozek (Norfolk Catholic H.S.) in the first half.
The 6-7, 215 lbs. forward had 13 of his 20 points by the break as he went 6 of 6 from the field and one of one at the line. When Brozek wasn't making a shot, his teammates were sinking a three; five different Lopers sank one as Kearney went 10 of 19 from downtown.
Up 37-27 at the break, UNK made half its 22 field goals over the final 20 minutes to slowly build its lead. Beranek (Ravenna) hit three triples and went 6 of 7 at the line to tally 15 of his 20 points after the break.
"The four wins we've had have been by a substantial margin and that gives us a reason to be optimistic," said Loper co-head coach Tom Kropp. "(Connor and Ethan) are the two guys we're going to look to this year. They are a stabilizing force."
UNK had a plus 10 rebounding margin, 37-27, and saw SBU go 14 of 23 (61%) at the line and 22 of 57 (39%) from the field.
Brozek had a team-high eight rebounds (five defensive) with Beranek grabbing six while handing out four assists and blocking three shots.
Among other starters, Minnesota freshman Isaiah McKay had a season-high 14 points of 5 of 10 (3 of 4 threes) shooting. Off the bench, Iowa forward Trey Lansman had six points, three rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes.
Menas Stephens had a double-double (22 points & 10 rebounds) to pace SBU.
TEAM LEADERS:
Scoring - BU-Taylor Young (19.8), UNK-Ethan Brozek (20.6)
Rebounding - BU-Alex Worthen-Harris (7.0), UNK-Ethan Brozek (9.0)
Assists - BU-Percy Lemle (35), UNK-Kevin Dineen (20)
Blocks - BU-Anthony Rounds (4), UNK-Connor Beranek (8)
Steals - BU-Alex Worthen-Harris (10), UNK-Ethan Brozek (7)
Three-Pointers Made - BU-Thomas Hammock (30), UNK-Ty Danielson (11)
Free Throw Percentage - BU-Taylor Young (88.2, 30-34), UNK-Trey Lansman (100, 11-11)
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Bellevue - 4-Hammock, 14-Shehata, 15-Chonis, 22-Worthen-Harris, 34-Aaron
Nebraska-Kearney - 3-Pearson, 15-McKay, 32-Brozek, 34-Danielson, 44-Beranek
GAME NOTES:
- Bellevue is 6-0 against fellow NAIA Division II Opponents
- Bellevue is 2-2 against NAIA Division I Opponents
- Bellevue is 2-0 at home on the season
- Bellevue is 2-1 in true road games on the season
- Bellevue is 4-1 in neutral site games on the season
- Bellevue is 8-0 when scoring 68 or more points
- Bellevue is 0-2 when scoring 52 or fewer points
- Bellevue is 5-1 when allowing 70 or more points
- Bellevue is 3-1 when allowing 64 or fewer points
- Bellevue is 1-0 in overtime games on the season (Nov. 1, def. Friends 76-70)
- Bellevue is 7-0 when shooting better than 40% from the field
- Bellevue is 1-2 when shooting worse than 40% from the field
- Bellevue is 8-0 when making 6 or more 3-Point Field Goals
- Bellevue is 0-2 when making 5 or fewer 3-Point Field Goals
- Bellevue is 6-1 when out-rebounding their opponent
- Bellevue is 1-1 when being out-rebounded by their opponent
- Bellevue is 1-0 when having the same number of rebounds as their opponent
- Thomas Hammock ranks 14th in Division II in Assist/Turnover Ratio (4.00)
- Thomas Hammock ranks 25th in Division II in 3-Point Field Goals Made per Game (3.00)
- Thomas Hammock ranks 27th in Division II in Total 3-Point Field Goals Made (30)
- Bellevue is 4-2 without Taylor Young (19.8 PPG) on the season
- Percy Lemle has scored in double figures in seven straight (15.7 PPG during streak)
- Last year Bellevue defeated UNK 73-65 in Kearney on Dec. 12
- Nebraska-Kearney leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1978, 18-2
- Bellevue ranks in Division II
- 13, 3-Point Field Goal Defense (.301)
- 27, 3-Point Field Goals Made per Game (8.30)
- 31, 3-Point Field Goal Percentage (.386)
- 32, Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.135)
- 42, Scoring Defense per Game (69.10)
- 43, Total Rebound Defense (33.30)
- 46, Total 3-Point Field Goals Made (83)
- 47, Total Rebound Margin (3.90)
- 48, Scoring Margin (7.20)
- 50, Total Rebounds per Game (37.20)
UP NEXT:
Bellevue will host William Penn University on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 3:00 p.m.
Nebraska-Kearney will travel to Rapid City, S.D. to take on South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
