BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team outscored Dickinson State University 21-5 in the final eight minutes of the contest to pull away for a 66-57 win in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Bruins as BU improved to 11-15 on the season and 4-7 in the NSAA. DSU fell to 7-18 overall and 2-9 in league play.
Junior Gabby Moore led the Bruins with 22 points and five assists. Moore from a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe. Ashtyn Arnold, who was held scoreless in the first half, finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Delaney VanBlaricon was the third Bruin in double figures, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field.
Samantha Oase paced the BlueHawks with 15 points, eight boards, two assists, and a pair of steals. Katherine Fox added 12 points and four rebounds. Heather LaBree chipped in with 11 points, four rebounds, and a pair of assists.
After Kaylee Denker opened the game with a deep 3-pointer, Fox scored four points in a 10-2 DSU run to give the BlueHawks an early 10-5 advantage.
A pair of free throws by Moore and a 3-pointer by Emily Pomernackas tied the game at 14-14 as the two teams remained deadlocked after the end of the first frame.
DSU opened the second quarter on an 8-3 spurt to gain a 22-17 edge. The Bruins responded with a 10-2 surge sparked by a 3-pointer from VanBlaricon as BU grabbed a 27-24 lead with four minutes left in the second.
After trading baskets over the next three minutes, a pair of free throws by Tinley Pierson pulled DSU to within one point at 29-28 at the intermission.
Moore (9) and VanBlaricon (8) combined for 17 points to lead the Bruins in the opening half.
Fox paced the BlueHawks with 10 first-half points.
Arnold scored BU's first six points of the second half as the Bruins built a 37-33 lead. DSU countered with a 9-2 run to take a 42-39 advantage with 4:55 left in the third quarter. The BlueHawks used a 3-point play by Kyrie Alldredge at the buzzer to give DSU a 48-46 advantage heading into the final frame.
The BlueHawks scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to take their largest lead of the game at seven points (53-46) with 8:14 left in the game.
Moore scored eight points in a 10-0 BU run as the Bruins regained the lead at 56-53 at the four-minute mark.
Back-to-back layups by Zakiyyah Muhammad and Arnold pushed the Bruin lead to five at 60-55 with 1:29 remaining.
The Bruins nailed 7-of-8 free throws in the final minute to seal the 67-58 victory.
The Bruins will conclude the 2023-24 regular season tomorrow (Feb. 17) with a 3 p.m. contest against Valley City State University at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. Bellevue's two seniors, Delaney VanBlaricon and Shelby Little, will be honored following the contest.
