BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team used a layup by Laura Jurek as time expired to give the Bruins an exciting 78-76 victory over visiting Dakota State University in the North Star Athletic Association openers for both teams Saturday afternoon in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The Bruins, who have won five-straight games, improved to 6-4 on the season and 1-0 in the NSAA. DSU dropped to 8-4 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Miranda Henning led five Bruins in double figures, scoring 18 points after going 7-of-11 from the field, including a 4-of-8 performance from behind the arc.
BU hit 10-of-24 shots from long range.
Asha Scott added 16 points and three rebounds. Faith Ross registered 14 points and four boards. Ashtyn Arnold finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and three steals.
Jurek was the fifth Bruin in double figures, finishing with 11 points, along with nine rebounds and five assists.
Elsie Aslesen led all players with 21 points, to go along with six rebounds and four blocked shots. Sidney Fick finished with 12 points, and Savannah Walsdorf (11) and Olivia Ritter (10) also finished in double figures.
The Bruins hit 11 of their first 22 shots, including 6-of-10 from long range, to build a 28-14 advantage at the end of the first quarter. BU scored 11 points off of DSU turnovers in the opening frame. Arnold, Jurek, and Ross all scored eight points apiece in the first quarter.
After a 3-pointer by Waldsdorf pulled the Trojans to within 10 points, the Bruins used an eight-point run capped by a short jumper from Scott to build an 18-point advantage at 43-25 with 3:19 remaining before halftime.
DSU responded with five-straight points, including a 3-point play by Lilli Mackley, before BU scored four of the final six points of the half to take a 47-32 lead into the intermission.
The Bruins, who scored 17 points off of DSU turnovers in the first half, were led by Arnold in the opening 20 minutes of play with 11 points and two rebounds. Arnold hit 4-of-5 shots in the opening half and was 2-of-2 from behind the arc. Ross added 10 points, while Scott and Jurek chipped in with eight points apiece.
Aslesen led the Trojans in the first half with seven points and a pair of rebounds.
The Bruins were held scoreless for the first three minutes of the second half as DSU climbed back to within 10 points after a layup by Aslesen made it 47-37 with 7:29 remaining in the third.
The Trojans cut the lead to single digits at 51-42 following a layup by Angela Slattery at the 5:29 mark of the third, and a five-point DSU run made it a five-point contest at 52-47 at the 3:36 mark.
After a free throw by Jurek gave BU an eight-point advantage, the Trojans closed the third frame on an 8-0 run to knot the contest at 56-all heading into the final stanza.
DSU outscored the Bruins, 24-9, in the third quarter.
Aslesen scored eight points, including two-straight 3-pointers, in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter as DSU built a 64-59 lead.
Four-straight points from Ross tied the contest 66-66 midway through the fourth quarter.
The Trojans responded over the next minute with six-consecutive points, including four-straight free throws, to build a 72-66 edge.
The Bruins countered with a five-point run, including a 3-point play by Taylor Dement, to slice the deficit to one point at 72-71 with three minutes remaining in the contest.
Hennings' fourth 3-pointer of the game tied the contest at 74-all at the two-minute mark.
After trading baskets, a steal by Arnold led to one final possession for BU with four seconds remaining in regulation. Jurek banked home a layup as time expired, giving the Bruins' the dramatic 78-76 victory.
The Bruins will host 11th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan University at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
