BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Led by Brittany Hill, the Bellevue University women's basketball team claimed a share of the North Star Athletic Association regular-season title with an 83-72 victory over Dakota State University Friday night at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The Bruins, who tied 22th-ranked Mayville State for the league regular-season crown, earned the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NSAA Post-Season Tournament beginning next Wednesday.
The Bellevue victory snapped the Trojans' 10-game win streak, as BU improved to 20-10 on the season and 11-3 in the NSAA. DSU, which had not lost since Jan. 19, fell to 16-13 overall and 10-4 in league play.
Hill led the Bruins with 19 points, while Jamie Winkler added 13 points. Faith Ross and Elexis Martinez each poured in 11 points for the balanced BU offense.
Morgan Koepsell paced the Trojans with 19 points while Lexi Robson added 10 points.
After the Trojans raced out to an early 12-2 advantage, the Bruins battled back with a 15-5 run to cut the deficit to four points at 17-13. DSU countered with a seven-point run to take a 24-13 lead before Winkler drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer, cutting the lead to 24-16 after the opening 10 minutes.
The Bruins used a 15-0 run to take a 32-28 lead with four minutes remaining in the first half before BU settled for a 43-41 edge at the intermission.
Bellevue opened the third frame on a 10-4 run to increase the lead to eight points at 53-45 with five minutes remaining in the quarter.
A 3-pointer by Hill gave BU its largest lead of the game at 58-48 at the three-minute mark of the third frame. The two teams traded baskets the remainder of the quarter as the Bruins took a 64-54 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
The Trojans scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to trim the deficit to one point (64-63) with just under eight minutes remaining in the contest. The Bruins responded with a 10-2 run capped by a nifty steal and layup by Hill to give BU a 74-65 lead at the four-minute mark.
A 3-point play by Olivia Breske drew the Trojans to within six at 74-68 with just under two minutes remaining.
Bellevue nailed nine free throws in the final 90 seconds to secure the 83-72 victory.
The Bruins earned the No. 1 seed for the NSAA Post-Season Tournament and will host No. 8 Presentation at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25 in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. The Semifinals and Championship Game will be played on Feb. 29-Mar. 1 in Watertown, S.D. at the Watertown Civic Arena.
