POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. -- Faith Ross scored a team-high 16 points and Elexis Martinez notched her fourth-straight double-double but it wasn't enough as the Bellevue University women's basketball team fell to No. 3-ranked College of the Ozarks 69-60 on Friday evening at Keeter Gymnasium in the C of O Lady Bobcat Coke Classic.
Records:
(RV) Bellevue: 4-3
#3 College of the Ozarks: 5-1
Recap:
Following a sluggish first quarter in which BU shot just 4-of-18 from the floor and College of the Ozarks committed seven turnovers, the Bobcats emerged with an early 12-9 lead.
C of O picked up their play in the second quarter, extending their lead to as many as 17 points but Bellevue closed the half on a 9-1 run that saw them cut the deficit to just 33-24 at the intermission.
Jerrene Richardson led Bellevue with six points at the break.
Faith Ross scored 11 of her 16 points in the second half to lead a Bruin charge which saw BU close to within five points at the end of the third quarter. Bellevue ended the third quarter on a 9-2 run which included a string of six-straight points from Ross to close out the period.
Harper Little opened the fourth quarter with a three for the Bobcats but Bellevue rattled off four-straight points to close to within four points, 58-54. Ross scored all four of those points as she accounted for 10-straight BU points over a span of 4:35.
After a pair of free throws from Abby Oliver put Ozarks up six, the teams traded buckets before a two and a half minute scoring drought. A bucket from Ashley Forrest and a three from Aleksei Smith gave the host side an 11-point lead as they held on for the win.
Ross scored a team-best 16 points for Bellevue with Richardson and Elexis Martinez chipping in 10 points apiece. Martinez added 10 rebounds to secure her fourth-straight double-double.
Oliver scored a game-high 23 points and 7-of-12 shooting, including a 4-of-7 effort from distance to lead Ozarks. Smith (13) and Annie Noah (12) joined her in double figures with Smith pulling down a team-best eight rebounds.
Up Next:
Bellevue wraps up play at the C of O Lady Bobcat Coke Classic tomorrow afternoon with a 2 p.m. tip-off against John Brown University.
