BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team kept its hopes alive for securing a first-round home game for the upcoming North Star Athletic Association Tournament with a critical 72-65 victory over Dickinson State University Saturday afternoon in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The Bruins improved to 13-15 on the season and 6-7 in the NSAA. DSU fell to 9-20 overall and 7-6 in league play.
Bellevue is currently in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference standings at 6-7. With one game remaining, the top four teams in the final regular-season standings will earn first-round home games in the NSAA Tournament.
Elexis Martinez and Faith Ross led the Bruin offense with 19 points each. Martinez added six rebounds and five assists in the victory. Ross was 6-of-7 from the field and 3-of-3 from behind the arc while draining 4-of-5 free-throw attempts.
Asha Scott recorded her third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, along with three assists.
Shali Sheridan led the Blue Hawks with 24 points, three assists, and a pair of steals. She nailed 6-of-13 3-point attempts. Courtney Olson finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
Neither team could establish control in the early going as the first quarter featured four ties and four lead changes. A layup by Martinez just before the buzzer gave the Bruins a 12-11 advantage after the opening 10 minutes of play.
BU used a 9-0 run capped by a 3-pointer from Ross to gain a 30-18 advantage with 4:30 left before halftime. After a layup by Asha Scott gave BU a 10-point lead, the Blue Hawks scored the final six points of the half to reduce the deficit to four points at 32-28 at the intermission.
Ross led BU in the first half with 12 points on 3-of-3 shooting from behind the arc. Martinez added eight points, two rebounds, and a pair of assists.
Sheridan paced DSU in the opening half with 11 points. She was 3-of-7 from long range.
A five-point run, including a 3-pointer by Sheridan tied the game at 39-all with five minutes left in the third frame.
After a layup by Martinez gave BU a four-point cushion, MacKenzi Reed drained a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer to slice the lead to one point at 48-47 heading into the final stanza.
The Bruins scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to extend the margin to eight points at 55-47 with 6:28 remaining in the contest. DSU got as close as five points on five occasions but each time the Bruins answered.
BU nailed eight free throws in the final 37 seconds to secure the 72-65 victory.
The Bruins conclude the regular season when they host No. 25 Dakota State University at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
