JAMESTOWN, N.D. -- The University of Jamestown men's basketball team used big scoring runs to end the first half and begin the second half as the Jimmies cruised to a 78-62 victory over Bellevue University in North Star Athletic Association action in the Harold Newman Arena.
The Bruins fell to 10-7 on the season with the loss and to 2-2 in the NSAA. Jamestown improved to 8-9 overall and 3-1 in league play.
RJ Smith led the Bruins with 15 points and seven rebounds. TJ Fritz, Nigel Wilson, Raphael Allen, and Caleb Chiang finished with seven points apiece.
Anthony Walters paced the Jimmies with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Owen Hektner added 16 points and four boards. Silas Binnion was the third Jimmie in double figures with 14 points.
The Jimmies used a 13-5 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Spencer Barr, to take a 22-13 lead nine minutes into the contest. UJ finished the opening half on a 13-4 burst to take a 42-25 advantage into the intermission.
Jamestown outshot the Bruins, 57.7 to 42.9 percent in the first half. Allen led BU in the opening period with seven points, while Fritz, Wilson, and Smith added five points each.
Hektner paced the Jimmies in the opening 20 minutes with nine points and three rebounds.
UJ scored the first 14 points of the second half, capped by back-to-back 3-pointers from Walters to take a commanding 56-25 lead with 15:19 left in the game.
After the Jimmies took their largest lead of the contest at 33 points (75-42), Bellevue closed the game on a 20-3 run to make the final, 78-62.
The Bruins travel to Dickinson, N.D. tomorrow (Jan. 11) for a 6 p.m. (central time) matchup at Dickinson State University.
