LA CROSSE, Wis. -- A 10-1 advantage in three-pointers made buoyed the Bellevue University men's basketball team past Viterbo University 72-55 on Saturday afternoon in the final game of the Viterbo University Classic.
Bellevue nudges their overall record back above .500, at 3-2, while the V-Hawks slide to 2-5 following their fourth-straight loss.
The Bruins raced out to a 9-0 lead, getting each of their first four field goals in the paint by different scorers with TJ Fritz converting an and-one to cap the scoring run.
Viterbo answered with sixth-straight before Matt Mathok hit Nigel Wilson on a high-low for an easy lay-in just ahead of the under-15 media timeout. Play balanced out some with BU leading 19-13 at the under-10 media timeout.
A layup from Mathok and a transition three from Raphael Allen kicked off a 12-0 run in which the BU lead grew to as many as 16 when Willie Williams swiped a steal at the top of the key and raced down the court for a layup.
Viterbo responded by scoring 10 of the 13 before JJ Montgomery knocked down his third trifecta of the half and BU took a 39-28 lead into halftime.
Williams led the Bruins with 10 at the break and Montgomery added nine. Cole Crubel paced Viterbo with six in the first half. BU shot 52% in the half while holding Viterbo to just 36% from the floor, thought Viterbo shot 90% on 10 free throw attempts and BU was 3-of-3 at the charity stripe. Bellevue forced the V-Hawks into eight turnovers while committing just five.
Christian Rohde scored the first points of the second half for Viterbo, but BU rolled off nine-straight points including five from Fritz for their largest lead of the game at 18, 48-30.
After a lay-in by Viterbo's Landon Thousand cut the Bruin lead to 11, Fritz drained back-to-back three-pointers to put BU back up by 17, 59-42, with 9:59 remaining.
Viterbo made a late charge, pulling within 11 points, 66-55, but Wilson stopped the momentum as he slammed home a dunk off a look-away feed from Fritz with 3:19 to play to go back up by 13.
Fritz led the way with 14 for the Bruins while Montgomery and Williams chipped in 12 apiece.
Crubel, Colin Adams, and T Fletcher had eight each to lead the V-Hawks.
The Bruins shot 50% from the floor, drained 10-of-21 three-pointers and committed 11 turnovers. Viterbo shot 43%, 1-of-8 from deep, and turned the ball over 15 times.
Bellevue hosts the Fairfield Inn by Marriott Classic next weekend. The Bruins welcome Ozark Christian College to town on Friday, Nov. 22 for a 7 p.m. tip before entertaining Nobel University in a 2 p.m. start.
