BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Senior Elexis Martinez tied a season-high with 23 points to lead the Bellevue University women's basketball team to a crucial, 72-61, victory over Mayville State University Friday night in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The win moved the Bruins to 12-5 on the season and kept BU in second place in the league standings at 8-2. Mayville State fell to 11-5 overall and 6-4 in league play. Dakota State remains the league leader at 10-0 in conference play and 18-3 overall.
Martinez added five rebounds and two steals in the win. Faith Ross finished with 13 points, four steals, three assists, and three rebounds. Jamie Winkler was the third Bruin in double figures, registering 11 points along with six steals and three assists.
The Bruins recorded a season-high 16 steals in the win.
Jordan Zrust paced the Comets with 19 points and nine rebounds. Danneka Voegeli added 16 points and six boards. CJ Decker recorded 12 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Erin Walcker finished with a double-double, chipping in with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Martinez scored 11 first-half points as Mayville took a slim 32-31 halftime advantage. BU shot 57.1 percent in the opening quarter and led 21-17. The Bruins hit just 3-of-16 shots in the second quarter as the Comets worked their way back into the contest.
Walcker paced MSU in the first half with seven points and seven rebounds.
Winkler had four steals in the first three minutes of the second half as BU went on a 7-0 run to take a 38-34 lead.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Delaney VanBlaricon and Miranda Hennings extended the BU lead to 10 points at 50-40 with two minutes remaining in the third frame. The Comets went on a 6-1 run before Ross's short jumper at the buzzer gave the Bruins a 53-46 edge heading into the final quarter.
A 3-pointer by Ross and a 10-foot jumper by Winkler made it a 12-point contest at 60-48 at the seven-minute mark. The Bruins maintained double-digit separation until a 3-pointer by Walcker cut the deficit to seven points (68-61) with 48 seconds remaining.
Bellevue drained 4-of-4 free throws in the final 30 seconds to preserve the 72-61 victory.
The Bruins will host Presentation College at 3 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 6) in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
