DICKINSON, N.D. -- A dominant fourth-quarter surge powered the Bellevue University women's basketball team to a 65-56 victory over Dickinson State University in North Star Athletic Association play Friday night at Scott Gymnasium.
Trailing by five entering the final period, the Bruins outscored DSU 22-8 in the fourth to secure the win. The victory improved Bellevue to 14-12 overall and 6-8 in conference play, while the Blue Hawks dropped to 8-17 on the season and 3-11 in NSAA action.
Key Performers
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Bellevue:
- Gabby Moore led all scorers with 23 points, adding two rebounds and two assists.
- Ashtyn Arnold recorded her team-leading ninth double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
- Josias Mickens also notched a double-double, finishing with 11 points, 11 boards, and three assists.
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Dickinson State:
- Katherine Fox paced DSU with 18 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
- Samantha Oase contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds.
- Kayden Steele added 13 points and two rebounds.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, with Dickinson State holding a narrow 24-23 lead at the break. The Blue Hawks shot just 29 percent from the field, while Bellevue connected on only 8-of-34 attempts (24%). Neither team found success from beyond the arc, as DSU went 1-of-13 and BU hit just 1-of-10 from deep.
Moore led the Bruins at halftime with 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting, while Oase paced DSU with six points and eight rebounds.
Dickinson State opened the third quarter strong, with six straight points from Fox pushing their lead to 32-26. However, Bellevue responded with an 11-1 run, sparked by eight points from Arnold, to take a 37-33 advantage midway through the period. The Blue Hawks countered with a six-point surge, including four straight from Fox, to reclaim the lead at 42-39 with 2:16 left in the third. Three DSU free throws in the closing moments extended their lead to 48-43 entering the final quarter.
The Bruins flipped the script in the fourth, scoring the first 10 points of the period to surge ahead 53-48. Dickinson State clawed back with a 6-2 stretch, cutting the deficit to a single point (55-54) with 6:39 remaining. Moore and Arnold combined for four straight points to extend Bellevue's lead to 59-54 at the 3:11 mark. After a brief exchange of baskets, the Bruins sealed the win at the free-throw line, as Moore and Arnold knocked down four shots in the final 11 seconds to secure the 65-56 triumph.
Up Next
The Bruins conclude the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 22, with a 3 p.m. matchup at the University of Jamestown.
