BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The 13th-ranked Dakota State University women's basketball team used a late third-quarter run to pull away for a 66-41 victory over Bellevue University Saturday afternoon in the North Star Athletic Association opener for both teams at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The loss dropped the Bruins to 7-9 on the season and 0-1 in the NSAA. DSU improved to 13-4 overall and 1-0 in league play.
Kaylee Denker and Gabby Moore led the BU offense with seven points apiece as BU shot just 33.3 percent from the field in the loss.
Savannah Walsdorf was the lone player in the contest to score in double figures, finishing with 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field. Angel Slattery and Morgan Huber added eight points each.
The Trojans used an early 7-0 run to gain a 9-4 advantage midway through the first frame. After exchanging buckets, a deep triple by Delaney VanBlaricon made it 13-9 in favor of DSU at the end of the first quarter.
Layups by Tabor Teel and Lilli Mackley to open the second quarter extended the Trojan lead to eight points with 7:18 left in the first half. A 6-0 run, including two straight buckets by Walsdorf, made it an 11-point contest (23-12) at the 3:58 mark.
After the Bruins pulled to within six points, highlighted by Brandi Dunn's second 3-pointer of the quarter, DSU ended the quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 33-17 lead into the halftime break.
Dunn led BU in the opening half with six points on 2-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc.
Walsdorf (10) and Huber (8) combined for 18 points to pace the Trojan offense in the first half.
Four-consecutive 3-pointers keyed a 16-2 DSU run to end the third frame, making it 53-23 heading into the final stanza.
BU held the Trojans scoreless for the first three minutes of the fourth quarter and got as close as 24 points following buckets by Aminah Hall and Jillian Friedman before DSU earned the 66-41 victory.
The Bruins hit the road next week when they travel to Dickinson, N.D., for a 6:30 p.m. (central time) NSAA contest on Friday, Jan. 12, at Dickinson State University. 17-9 with 7:19 left in the first half.
