BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team overcame a sluggish first quarter en route to a 75-47 victory over Dickinson State University Saturday afternoon in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
Trailing 19-7 in the first quarter, BU outscored the Blue Hawks, 68-28, the remainder of the contest to record its third-straight victory.
The Bruins improved to 18-10 on the season and 9-3 in the NSAA. DSU fell to 8-18 overall and 4-9 in league play.
Brittany Hill led the Bruins with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Faith Ross added 13 points, five boards, and a pair of assists.
The Blue Hawks were paced by Ashlie Larson's 19 points and six rebounds. Sydney Clark chipped in 13 points in the losing effort.
Clark scored seven points in the first four minutes as the Blue Hawks raced out to an early 10-2 lead, forcing a quick BU timeout. A seven-point DSU run extended the margin to double digits at 19-7 with 2:30 left in the first.
Two-straight steals and ensuing layups cut the lead to 19-12 at the end of the first quarter.
DSU shot 53.3 percent in the first stanza and was 3-of-5 from behind the arc. BU was just 29.4 percent from the field and 1-of-7 in 3-point attempts.
The Bruins increased the tempo and employed a full-court press, as BU took a 26-23 lead after opening the second quarter on a 14-4 run.
Cassie Jones scored seven second-quarter points as BU outscored the Blue Hawks, 23-9, in the second frame, to take a 35-28 lead into the intermission.
The Bruins improved their shooting to 47.1 percent in the second and scored 12 points off of DSU turnovers.
Ross led BU in the first half with 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Hill added eight points and three rebounds.
Larson paced the Blue Hawks in the opening 20 minutes with 10 points and five boards. Clark added nine points and an assist.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Hill highlighted a 15-3 run to open the second half as BU took at 50-31 lead with 3:19 left in the third.
The Blue Hawks scored the final six points of the third quarter to trim the deficit to 15 points (55-40) heading into the final quarter.
Five-straight points from Delaney VanBlaricon and a triple by Hill pushed the lead to 26 points at 70-44 with three minutes remaining in the contest as the Bruins cruised to the 75-47 victory.
The Bruins will host league-leading and 14th-ranked Mayville State University on Monday, Feb. 17 beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
