BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Four Bruins scored in double figures and Jaffery Stillman notched his second double-double of the season as the Bellevue University men's basketball team won its sixth-straight game with a convincing 89-72 victory over Dakota State University Saturday night in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
Bellevue, the NSAA regular-season champions, improved to 20-10 on the season, finishing with an 11-5 conference record. DSU fell to 14-16 overall and 7-9 in league play. The win also assured the Bruins of their 18th-consecutive 20-win season.
The Bruins will host Valley City State in a first-round contest on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.
Richard Reed led the Bruins with 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists. BJ Shelton added 17 points and three assists. Nick Hilton scored 13 points and dished out four assists. Stillman finished with 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Kevin Daniels led four Trojans in double figures, finishing with 17 points to go along with four rebounds.
Fueled by three-consecutive 3-pointers, the Bruins scored the first 13 points of the contest and maintained that advantage throughout the remainder of the first half as BU took a 48-36 lead into the intermission.
Reed led the Bruins in the first half with 11 points and three rebounds as BU shot 50 percent from the field. The Trojans were paced by Daniels' 14 points in the opening half.
The two teams traded baskets for the first 10 minutes of the second half before BU used a 7-0 run to gain a 19-point advantage at 73-54 with 9:09 remaining in the contest.
DSU never got closer than 14 points the remainder of the contest as BU cruised to the 89-72 victory.
