BELLEVUE, Neb. -- For the second time this season, the Bellevue University women's basketball team fell in overtime to league regular-season champion Dakota State University, 89-83, in the Bruins' final regular-season game of the 2022 campaign.
The loss dropped the Bruins to 13-16 on the season and 6-8 in the North Star Athletic Association. The 25th-ranked Trojans improved to 23-7 overall, finishing with a 13-1 conference mark.
Asha Scott led the Bruins with her fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds. She was 8-of-12 from the field while adding four assists. Miranda Hennings added 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range. Laura Jurek registered her first double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds while adding five assists.
Elexis Martinez added nine points, five rebounds, and five assists in the loss.
Jessi Giles paced the Trojans with 26 points, three steals, and a pair of assists. Savannah Walsdorf added 20 points and nine rebounds. Courtney Menning collected 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Elsie Aslesen was the fourth Trojan in double figures, finishing with 10 points along with four rebounds.
The Trojans used an 8-0 run to erase an early four-point deficit as DSU grabbed a 16-12 lead following a 3-pointer by Giles with 3:44 left in the first quarter.
After a layup by Scott tied the game at 19-all, the Trojans ended the first frame on a 5-0 run to take a 24-19 advantage after the opening 10 minutes of play.
Giles led all players with 12 points in the first frame, going 3-for-4 from long range. Scott and Hennings scored six points each in the first quarter.
Trailing by eight after a layup by Shaylee Debeer, the Bruins battled back with six-straight points capped by a pair of free throws from Scott to make it a two-point contest at 34-32 with 3:35 left before intermission.
The Trojans closed the second quarter on a 7-2 run to take a 41-34 lead at the halftime break.
Scott led the Bruins in the first half with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting while adding two rebounds and a pair of assists.
Giles (16) and Walsdorf (11) combined for 27 points to pace the Trojan offense in the opening half.
The Bruins pulled to within four points after starting the third quarter on a 5-2 run to make it 43-39. DSU countered with six-straight points to make it a double-digit contest at 49-39 following a 3-pointer by Walsdorf.
Five-straight points by Courtney Menning gave the Trojans a 14-point lead at 56-42 midway through the third quarter.
BU scored the final seven points of the third capped by a layup from Kaziah Terrell at the buzzer to pull BU to within seven points at 62-56 heading into the final frame.
Four-straight points to start the fourth pulled BU to within three points and a 3-point play by Martinez tied the contest at 64-all with 6:38 left in the contest.
A 3-pointer from Hennings and a 12-foot jumper from Ross gave BU a 69-64 lead at the 5:44 mark.
The Trojans responded with six-straight points to regain the advantage at 70-69 with 3:28 remaining.
Consecutive layups from Hennings and Martinez helped BU take a 73-70 lead with 1:48 left in regulation.
The Trojans scored five-straight points to take a 75-73 lead and with 14 seconds remaining Giles missed a pair of free throws to keep it a two-point contest.
Scott tied the game with a driving layup with 10 seconds remaining in regulation.
After Lexi Robson was called for an offensive foul on the ensuing possession, BU could not get a shot off, forcing the game into overtime, tied at 75.
A 3-point play by Debeer gave the Trojans a four-point lead at 82-78 and DSU maintained a four-point advantage after a free throw by Giles made it 84-80 at the 1:29 mark.
Jurek made 1-of-2 free throws to make it a three-point contest.
Giles answered with a pair of free throws to give DSU an 86-81 lead with 17 seconds remaining in overtime.
Delaney VanBlaricon drained two free throws before DSU sealed the victory making 3-of-4 free throws in the final 10 seconds, to make the final, 89-83.
The Bruins will be the No. 6 seed in the upcoming NSAA Tournament and will travel to No. 3 seed Valley City State at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22 in a quarterfinal matchup.
