BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Juniors Faith Ross and Taeha Pankey combined for 30 points to lead the Bellevue University women's basketball team to a 77-65 victory over visiting Ottawa University Monday night in non-conference action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
With the win, the Bruins improved to 3-4 on the season. Ottawa dropped to 1-5 overall.
Ross registered 18 points, six assists, two rebounds, and a pair of steals in the victory. Pankey added 12 points, two steals, and two boards. Eleven Bruins scored in the victory.
Haylie Anderson led the Braves with 16 points, going 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-6 from behind the arc. Mariah Grizzle recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Ottawa shot 50 percent from the field but suffered 20 turnovers, leading to 21 BU points.
Anderson scored eight points in the first four minutes of the game as the Braves built an early 14-6 advantage. OU shot 66.7 percent from the field and hit 2-of-3 pointers to take a 21-14 lead before BU ended the first quarter on an 8-3 run as the Braves took a 24-22 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play. Anderson scored 11 points in the first quarter, connecting on all four of her shots, including three 3-pointers. Ross poured in eight points in the opening stanza.
Anderson picked up her third foul early in the second quarter and the Bruins were able to erase a six-point deficit, tying the contest at 35-all following a 3-pointer by Miranda Hennings.
The Bruins forced 12 first-half turnovers and ended the second on a 9-4 run to take a 46-42 lead into the intermission.
Ross led BU in the first half with 10 points and a pair of assists. Pankey and Elexis Martinez poured in seven points apiece as 11 Bruins scored in the opening 20 minutes of play.
Anderson led the Braves with 13 points in just nine minutes of action. She was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field. Amyr Lowe added seven points, five rebounds, and two assists in the first half.
Capped by a layup from Aminah Hall, the Bruins used a 12-2 run to take a 61-50 lead with 2:11 left in the third quarter. The Braves responded with four-straight to trim the deficit to 61-54 heading into the final quarter.
After a 3-pointer by Pankey gave BU a 10-point lead, the Braves scored five-straight sparked by another triple from Anderson to pull to within five at 64-59 with 6:27 remaining in the game.
Two free throws from Ross gave the Bruins an 11-point (61-50) cushion at the 4:38 mark and the two teams traded baskets the remainder of the contest as BU earned the 77-65 victory.
The Bruins will return to conference action on Friday, Dec. 11 when they host Waldorf University at 5:30 p.m. in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
