BU overcomes sluggish start in 73-59 win over Swedes

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BELLEVUE, Neb. -- After trailing by double digits early in the contest, the Bellevue University men's basketball team picked up the intensity on both ends of the floor while recording a 73-59 victory over Bethany College in the final game of the Fairfield Inn & Suites Bruin Holiday Classic on Wednesday afternoon in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

With the victory, the Bruins improved to 8-9 on the season. Bethany fell to 3-5 overall on the season. 

Lewis Hayes led the Bruins with 17 points, three blocks, and two rebounds. Vinny Belcaster added 15 points and five rebounds. Justin Motley recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Michael Wright was the fourth Bruin in double figures, finishing with 11 points, along with six rebounds and five assists. 

Nic Slavin led the Swedes with 14 points in just 22 minutes of action. Malcolm Clayton added 12 points and five boards. Dalton Smyres finished with 10 points and a pair of boards.  

The Swedes drained their first-six shots of the game to take an early 13-1 lead, before BU responded with a 10-0 run sparked by a pair of 3-pointers by Belcaster to slice the lead to 13-11. 

A 16-1 Bruin run highlighted by five-straight points from Belcaster and a 3-point play by Vaj Rice gave BU a 33-21 advantage with 6:23 remaining in the first half. 

The Bruins nailed 5-of-6 free throws to end the half and Bethany did not hit a field goal in the final eight minutes as BU took a 38-24 lead at the break. 

Belcaster led BU in the first half with 11 points and three 3-pointers. Hayes added eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field. 

The two teams traded baskets for the first nine minutes of the second half until a 6-2 Bethany run brought the Swedes to within 10 points at 54-44 with 10:27 remaining in the contest. 

After a pair of free throws by Motley gave the Bruins a 16-point margin, BC used a 9-3 spurt to trim the deficit to 10 points (65-55) at the 2:47 mark.  

A layup by Clayton made it a single-digit contest at 66-57 with 1:19 left in the game, but that was as close as BC could get as BU closed the game on a 7-2 to cruise to the 73-59 victory. 

The Bruins return to conference action on Saturday, Jan. 2, when they host Viterbo University beginning at 5 p.m. in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.