KWU pulls away late in 72-63 win over Bruins in season opener

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BELLEVUE, Neb. – Kansas Wesleyan's Odessa Ozuna scored 12 fourth-quarter points as the Coyotes pulled away late to earn a 72-63 victory over the Bellevue University women's basketball team in the season opener for both teams in the Chick-fil-A Classic Friday night at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

Gabby Moore and Ashtyn Arnold scored 14 points apiece to lead the Bruin offense in the loss. Moore was a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc, while Arnold added eight rebounds and three assists.

Kaylee Denker finished with 11 points and four boards. She was 3-of-4 from long range. 

Delaney VanBlaricon added 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting from the field. 

Ozuna led all players with 16 points while adding five rebounds and two steals. Jill Stephens scored 14 points and Lamyah Ricks and Hampton Williams finished with 11 points apiece for the Coyotes.  

Williams drained two early 3's as the Coyotes grabbed an early 10-1 advantage. The Bruins responded with five points from VanBlaricon in an 11-0 BU run as Bellevue took a 12-10 lead. A layup by Lamyah Ricks with 36 seconds left in the first quarter tied the game after the opening 10 minutes of action. 

The Bruins managed just one field goal in the first eight minutes of the second quarter as KWU built an eight-point cushion at 22-14 following Williams' third 3-pointer of the contest. Denker broke the Bruins' six-minute scoring drought with a long 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 22-17 with just under two minutes before halftime. The Coyotes finished the half on a 6-1 run as KWU took a 28-18 lead into the intermission. 

The Bruins shot 21.7 percent from the field in the opening half paced by Moore and VanBlaricon's five points. 

Williams led the KWU offense in the first half with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from behind the arc. 

Bellevue scored the first five points of the third quarter and used a pair of triples by Moore and back-to-back jumpers by Arnold to give the Bruins a 32-31 lead four minutes into the second half. 

The Coyotes countered with six-straight points sparked by three free throws from Stephens to regain the lead at 38-32. Four straight points by Arnold and a 3-pointer by Denker made it a one-point contest at 40-39. The teams traded five-point runs as KWU took a 45-44 lead heading into the final quarter. 

After a 3-pointer by VanBlaricon gave the Bruins a 51-50 edge, Ozuna scored nine-straight points to give the Coyotes a 59-51 lead.  BU never got closer than six points in the remainder of the contest as KWU earned the nine-point victory.  

The Bruins will conclude the tournament on Saturday with a 5 p.m. contest against Midland University (0-1). The Warriors fell to Dickinson State University, 68-66, in the first game of the Chick-fil-A Classic.