FOREST CITY, Iowa -- The Bellevue University men's basketball team allowed a season-low 44 points as the Bruins earned a 24-point (68-44) victory at Waldorf University Friday night in North Star Athletic Association action at the Hanson Fieldhouse.
The Bruins improved to 14-9 on the season and 6-2 in the NSAA. Waldorf dropped to 4-17 overall and 2-6 in league play.
Eric Pierce recorded his third double-double of the season, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds, to go along with five steals and four assists.
Martis Johnson added 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. Isaiah Bates and Taylor Pomeroy both chipped in with nine points apiece.
The BU defense held the Warriors to 32.1 percent shooting while forcing 16 turnovers. The Bruins scored 15 points off of WU's miscues.
Lorenzo Smith was the lone Warrior in double figures, finishing with 12 points to go along with three rebounds. No other Warrior scored more than six points.
The Bruins raced out to a 7-2 lead and used an 8-0 run capped by a 3-pointer from Vinny Belcaster to gain a 17-6 advantage midway through the first half.
A seven-point BU run extended the Bruin lead to 15 points at 24-9 at the nine-minute mark of the first half.
A 3-pointer by Chett Helming completed a five-point WU run, drawing the Warriors to within 11 points at 29-18 with 4:16 left in the first.
After a jumper by Quincy Minor Jr. kept the margin at 11 points, a 3-pointer by Pierce made it 36-22 in favor of the Bruins at the intermission.
Pierce led the Bruins in the first half with eight points, six rebounds, and two assists. Johnson went 4-of-6 from the field, also scoring eight points.
Smith paced the Warriors with six first-half points.
After Minor Jr. opened the second half with a short jumper to pull WU to within 12 points, the Bruins used a 7-2 run to take a 43-26 lead with 16 minutes left in the game.
A nine-point BU run highlighted by an emphatic dunk from Bates made it a 24-point contest at 52-28 at the 12-minute mark.
The Warriors got as close as 21 points on six occasions before a 3-pointer by Jerome Bynum made the final, 68-44.
The Bruins will travel to LaCrosse, Wis. on Saturday (Jan. 29) for a 5 p.m. NSAA matchup at Viterbo University.
