Bellevue cruises to 92-69 road win at CSM

OMAHA, Neb. -- Zakiyyah Muhammad scored a career-high 19 points to lead the Bellevue University women's basketball team to a 92-69 win over the College of St. Mary on Saturday evening in their final game ahead of a two-week layoff.

Bellevue wraps up their four-game road trip at 2-2 and moves to 6-6 on the year. CSM falls to 1-10 with their 10th-straight defeat.

Kaylee Denker scored seven first-quarter points, including knocking down a three at the buzzer to stake the Bruins to a 15-11 lead after 10 minutes of play. Bellevue started on an 8-2 run, highlighted by a swipe from Brandi Dunn that she turned into a fast break layup as BU forced seven CSM turnovers in the quarter. With Bellevue leading 12-5, the Flames ripped of six-straight points in 1:31 to make it a one-point game.

The Bruins out-scored the Flames 22-16 in the second to stretch the lead to 10 points, 37-27, at the break. Delaney VanBlaricon canned a tripe at the 3:34 mark to push BU's lead to a first-half-high 12 points. Chainey Thompson got a clean look in the corner at the buzzer to try to cut the lead to single digits, but her trifecta attempt clanged off the back rim.

Denker led all players with ten first-half points, while Dunn and Zakiyyah Muhammad added five apiece for BU. Dunn recorded four steals in the half, and Muhammad pulled down five boards. Shyanne Mayhue paced the Flames with nine first-half points, and Madison Guzman dished out four first-half assists.

With the lead hovering in the 8-12 point range, the Bruins utilized a 15-3 run, featuring six points from Muhammad to seize complete control of the contest. A Gabby Moore free throw with 1:43 pushed the lead to 20 points, and the Bruins led 71-53 after three quarters.

Shelby Little kick-started a 13-0 scoring run as the Bruins took their largest lead of the game, 86-59, approaching the midway mark of the fourth quarter.

Muhammad's 19 points led four Bruins in double figures, and she grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Dunn, Denker, and Moore joined her in double figures with 16, 14, and 12, respectively. Ashtyn Arnold dished out five assists as the Bruins assisted 22 of their 34 field goals.

Mayhue tallied a game-high 20 for the Flames. Madison Camden (13), Madilyn Gaughen (12), and Ava Schroeder (11) all joined her in double figures, with Camden adding eight boards.

The Bruins return home on Friday-Saturday, Dec. 29-30, when they host the Fairfield Inn Bruin Classic. Bellevue welcomes College of the Ozarks for a 5 p.m. tip on the 29^th before entertaining Haskell Indian Nations University on the 30^th at 5 p.m.