BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Senior Gabby Moore and sophomore Kaylee Denker combined for 41 points to lead the Bellevue University women's basketball team to an 80-60 victory over Midland University in BU's first game of the Four Points by Sheraton Bruin Classic, being played at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
Bellevue extended its winning streak to five games, improving to 10-3 on the season. Midland fell to 1-11 overall.
Moore registered 24 points and seven rebounds, going 9-of-12 from the field and 4-of-6 from long range. Denker scored 17 points and grabbed four boards. She was 5-of-6 from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, and she drained all five of her free throw attempts.
Sarah Shepard paced the Warriors with 14 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Erin Foxhall added 12 points, three rebounds, and three steals. Ellie Bovaird and Jenna Webber finished with 10 points apiece.
A 13-2 Bruin run, capped by a 3-pointer from Moore, helped BU establish an early 15-6 lead in the first six minutes of the contest. Moore scored 12 first-quarter points as the Bruins took a 20-14 lead after the opening 10 minutes of action. She went 5-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc in the opening quarter.
BU scored the first nine points of the second quarter and built a 32-16 advantage following a 3-pointer by Denker. Bellevue shot 73.3 percent in the second frame, and eight different Bruins scored as BU took a 51-24 lead into the intermission.
Moore led the Bruins in the opening half with 16 points and six assists. Dru Zoucha added nine points, and Denker came off the bench to score eight points, going 2-of-3 from the field and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe.
Webber paced the Warriors in the first half with seven points and three rebounds.
The Warriors outscored BU 13-5 in the first six minutes of the second half as MU trimmed the deficit to 19 points at 56-37. Five straight points by Denker gave the Bruins a 66-43 advantage entering the final frame.
After the Bruins built a 27-point margin following a triple by Moore, the Warriors closed the game on a 12-5 run to make the final, 80-60.
The Bruins will conclude the tournament on Monday (Dec. 30) with a 5 p.m. matchup against Doane University in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
