Balanced attack, rebounding edge lift Bruins past UMW, 80-67

Box Score
Frontier Standings

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Bellevue University used a balanced scoring effort and a plus-13 advantage on the glass to earn an 80-67 Frontier Conference men's basketball victory over the University of Montana Western on Friday night at the BU Fieldhouse.

With the win, Bellevue improves to 15-3 overall and 10-2 in Frontier Conference play. Montana Western drops to 14-4 on the season and 9-3 in league games as both teams remain near the top of the conference standings behind league leader Carroll College.

Jaden Phillips finished with 21 points, going 5-of-18 from the floor and 10-of-12 at the free-throw line while adding five rebounds. Ahamad Bynum supplied 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting with two 3-pointers and four rebounds. RJ Smith anchored the interior with 15 points on a perfect 7-of-7 effort from the field, eight rebounds, and one blocked shot, and Jermaine Haliburton added 12 points, four assists, and two 3-pointers off the bench.

Emanuel Steward led Montana Western with a game-high 22 points, shooting 8-of-20 from the field and 4-of-10 on 3-pointers with five rebounds. Kyle Gruhler added 15 points, including 2-of-4 on 3-pointers and a 5-of-5 performance at the stripe, while Jacob Ankeny recorded a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.

How It Happened

Montana Western struck first as Billy Carlson knocked down a 3-pointer on the opening possession, and the Bulldogs held a 9-7 lead after a four-point play from Gruhler. Bellevue answered with perimeter shooting of its own. Bynum and Phillips connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to swing the lead to 13-9, and Haliburton followed with a jumper and a fast-break layup to extend the margin to 17-11.

The Bruins continued to build separation with balanced scoring. Liam Thompson and Smith converted layups in the lane, and Mathok Mathok and Deng Jal added putbacks as part of a sustained first-half stretch. After trailing 9-7, Bellevue outscored Montana Western 33-17 over the final 14 minutes of the half, capped by two free throws from Haliburton in the closing seconds for a 40-26 advantage at the break.

Phillips opened the second half with a tip-in to give the Bruins their largest lead of the night at 42-26. Steward and Gruhler fueled a Montana Western response, combining for a 3-pointer and mid-range jumpers as the Bulldogs trimmed the deficit to seven at 49-42 on Gruhler's basket with 12:32 remaining. Smith answered inside and Bynum hit a jumper to restore a double-digit cushion at 53-42.

Montana Western twice pulled within eight, the last time at 55-47 with 9:33 left, but Bellevue responded again. Mathok split free throws, Haliburton buried a 3-pointer from the wing, and Bynum added two free throws to push the lead back to 61-49. Gruhler's 3-pointer later cut the margin to 68-59 with 4:15 to play, but Bynum countered with a layup and a jumper on consecutive possessions, and Phillips knocked down four free throws in the final minutes as the Bruins closed out the 80-67 victory.

Top Performers

Bellevue University

• Jaden Phillips: 21 points, 5-of-18 FG, 1-of-4 on 3-pointers, 10-of-12 FT, 5 rebounds
• Ahamad Bynum: 18 points, 7-of-16 FG, 2-of-8 on 3-pointers, 2-of-2 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
• RJ Smith: 15 points, 7-of-7 FG, 1-of-4 FT, 8 rebounds, 1 block
• Jermaine Haliburton: 12 points, 4-of-8 FG, 2-of-4 on 3-pointers, 2-of-3 FT, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
• Mathok Mathok: 5 points, 2-of-2 FG, 1-of-4 FT, 8 rebounds
• Deng Jal: 2 points, 1-of-2 FG, 6 rebounds

University of Montana Western

• Emanuel Steward: 22 points, 8-of-20 FG, 4-of-10 on 3-pointers, 2-of-2 FT, 5 rebounds
• Kyle Gruhler: 15 points, 4-of-6 FG, 2-of-4 on 3-pointers, 5-of-5 FT, 3 rebounds
• Jacob Ankeny: 10 points, 3-of-3 FG, 4-of-7 FT, 10 rebounds
• Billy Carlson: 5 points, 2-of-6 FG, 1-of-2 on 3-pointers, 3 rebounds

Inside the Numbers

• Bellevue shot 47.5 percent from the field (29-of-61), including 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (6-of-18), and 64.0 percent at the free-throw line (16-of-25).
• Montana Western finished at 41.5 percent from the floor (22-of-53), 33.3 percent on 3-pointers (7-of-21) and 76.2 percent at the stripe (16-of-21).
• The Bruins held a 42-29 rebounding advantage and grabbed 15 offensive boards, converting those into a 23-10 edge in second-chance points.
• Bellevue outscored Montana Western 38-22 in points in the paint.
• Montana Western posted a 17-12 edge in points off turnovers, while fast-break points were even at 2-2.

Up Next

The Bruins will host No. 15 Montana Tech University on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Frontier Conference play inside the BU Fieldhouse.