Winkler, Martinez lead BU to 71-65 win over Saints

Box Score
NSAA Standings

ABERDEEN, S.D. -- Jamie Winkler and Elexis Martinez combined for 39 points to lead the Bellevue University women's basketball team to a 71-65 victory at Presentation College Friday evening in North Star Athletic Association action at the Strode Center. 

The Bruins, who won their sixth-straight game, improved to 8-4 on the season and 4-1 in the NSAA. PC fell to 1-14 overall and 0-4 in league play. 

Winkler led BU with a season-high 20 points on 4-of-9 shooting from behind the arc. Martinez added 19 points, seven rebounds, and a pair of assists. 

Justice Crooks paced the Saints with 13 points and eight boards. Kat Kreiner added 11 points and four rebounds. Aaliyah Hull was the third Saint in double figures, finishing with 10 points along with eight boards. 

Presentation raced out to an early 13-4 lead as five Saints scored in the first 3 minutes of the contest. PC shot 57.4 percent from the field in the first quarter and led 19-12 after the opening 10 minutes of play. Four different Bruins scored three points in the first quarter as BU shot 44.4 percent and hit 2-of-3 from behind the arc, but suffered seven turnovers. 

After the Saints opened the second quarter with a 3-point play to take a 10-point lead, the Bruins used an 11-3 run, ignited by two 3-pointers from Winkler, to pull to within two points at 25-23 with 4:32 remaining before intermission. A 3-pointer by Delaney VanBlaricon gave BU its first lead of the second quarter at 29-28 at the 2:30 mark. 

The two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the quarter as BU took a slim 34-33 lead at halftime. 

Martinez led the Bruins in the first half with 10 points and four rebounds. Winkler added eight points and a pair of assists and was 2-of-4 from long range. BU was just 3-of-8 from the free-throw line in the opening 20 minutes of play and finished 8-of-16 for the game.

Presentation, which outshot BU in the opening half 46 to 41 percent, was led by Jordyn Kulczyk's seven points and four boards. Crooks and Hull chipped in with six points apiece.  

Winkler (8) and Martinez (7) combined for 15 points in the third quarter as BU expanded the margin to five points at 56-51 entering the final 10 minutes of play. 

After a layup by Faith Ross gave BU its first double-digit lead of the game at 68-57, the Saints scored three-straight baskets to make it a five-point contest (68-63) with 27 seconds remaining in the contest. 

Three free throws in the final 20 seconds sealed the 71-65 victory for the Bruins.  

Bellevue will travel to Mayville, N.D. tomorrow (Jan. 16) for a 3 p.m. matchup against Mayville State University.