OMAHA, Neb. -- The Bellevue University men's basketball team gave the University of Nebraska Omaha fits for about 32 minutes before Omaha pulled away for a 78-59 victory over the Bruins in an exhibition contest on Thursday afternoon at Baxter Arena.
Omaha improves its record to 5-4 with their third-straight win. The game did not count towards Bellevue's overall record.
Omaha led by as many as eight early in the first half following a 10-3 run in under three minutes of game time as Markell Sutton's layup put the hosts up 14-6.
Trailing 19-13, Bellevue scored a 14-9 advantage over a span of 10:11 to take their first lead of the game, 27-26, as Jaden Phillips knocked down a trey off a kick from Emarr Vinson. During that spurt, the Bruins held Omaha to just one made field goal
Despite shooting just 33% Bellevue trailed by only six at the break, 33-27. The Bruins bothered UNO with their defensive intensity, forcing seven first half turnovers which they turned into 12 points at the other end.
Sutton led all scorers with 11 points at the break. Nigel Wilson nearly matched him with 10 to lead the Bruins.
Omaha shot 40% from the floor in the first half but went just 2-of-8 from deep as BU's 6-of-16 effort from three kept Bellevue close.
The Bruins stayed hot as Christian Carter opened the second half by knocking down an uncontested three.
A concerted effort by UNO to get into the paint paid dividends as the Mavs scored the next nine points to push their lead to 12, 42-30 with 17:41 to play.
Bellevue answered a Jaden Phillips knocked down a corner three to spark a 7-3 Bruin mini-run to cut the deficit back to eight.
Still leading by eight, UNO scored a 7-2 run to lead 59-47 with 7:00 on the clock when the horn rang for the under-eight media timeout.
The Bruins made just one field goal over an eight minute span (12:13-4:20) and Marcel Bryant capped a 13-2 run with a driving dunk to put Omaha in command, 65-47.
Wilson finished with 12 to pace the Bruins. Makeem Loudermill and Phillips added eight apiece while Carter and Raydden Grobe each tossed in seven. Phillips' seven boards were also a team-high.
Sutton led a trio of Mavs in double figures with 22 points along with 12 boards. Frankie Fidler chipped in 12 and Bryant added 10 in the win.
The Bruins return home on Saturday, Dec. 2 when they host Union College at 7 p.m. from the Gordon Lozier Athletic Conference.
