BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Junior TJ Fritz scored 21 points to lead the Bellevue University men's basketball team to a 70-62 victory over Harris-Stowe State University in the final game of the Fairfield Inn by Marriott Bruin Classic being played at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
With the win, the Bruins improved to 2-6 on the season. HSSU dropped to 2-8 overall.
Fritz went 6-of-12 from 3-point range while adding eight rebounds and three steals. Jerome Bynum finished with 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. He also added four assists.
Patrick Evans led three Hornets in double figures, finishing with 15 points, two rebounds, and a pair of assists. Ken Martin collected 14 points and six boards.
Neither team could establish control in the early going until four consecutive 3-pointers, including a pair by Raydden Grobe, keyed a 14-0 BU run, giving the Bruins a 37-24 lead with 2:28 left in the first half.
The Hornets battled back, pulling to within eight points, including a 60-foot heave at the buzzer by Martin that made it 42-34 at the intermission.
Fritz led the Bruins in the opening half with 15 points, including a 5-of-8 effort from behind the arc. He also added five rebounds. Bynum and Grobe finished the first half with eight points apiece.
Martin paced the Hornets in the opening period with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range.
After BU built an 11-point lead early in the second half on a layup by Christian Carter, the Hornets used an 8-0 run, including four-straight by Anthony Bell to pull to within three points at 51-48 with 13:16 left in the contest.
A 3-pointer by Evans capped a 5-0 HSSU run, giving the Hornets a 57-56 lead at the 9:31 mark.
After two free throws by Carter gave the Bruins a 60-58 lead, both teams went scoreless for three minutes until a free throw by Nigel Wilson and two free shots from Carter gave BU a five-point cushion at 63-58 with three minutes remaining.
Two free throws by Seth Chargois snapped a five-minute scoring drought for the Hornets, slicing the margin to three points at 63-60 at the 2:41 mark.
A 3-pointer by Bynum at the one-minute mark pushed the advantage to six points at 66-60. The Bruins nailed four free throws in the final 38 seconds to seal the 70-62 victory.
The Bruins will be back in action on Nov. 25-26, when they travel to Fremont, Neb., for the Midland Thanksgiving Classic. BU will take on No. 4-ranked Langston at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Midland at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
