Scott leads BU to 18-point win at Hastings

HASTINGS, Neb. -- Asha Scott led five Bruins in scoring in double figures with 17 points to lead the Bellevue University women's basketball team to a 72-54 win over Hastings College on Monday evening.

The win, Bellevue's fourth-straight, sees the Bruins move back above the .500-mark at 5-4. Hastings has now dropped four of five to slip to 3-4 on the year.

The first quarter started slow following a 10-day layoff for the Bruins. The teams combined to shoot 9-of-29 and turned the ball over nine times in the opening period. With the score just 3-2 more than four minutes into the contest, Delaney VanBlaricon kick-started the offense with a deep three-pointer that sparked a 9-2 run over the next 4:48. Hastings closed the quarter strong, pulling within two, 13-11.

Asha Scott took the reins in the second quarter scoring 11 of BU's 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting as the Bruins stretched their lead to 34-25 at halftime. Scott and VanBlaricon led Bellevue with 11 points apiece at the break.

The Bruins wasted no time in stretching their lead, opening the third quarter on a 9-1 run keyed by five points from Ashtyn Arnold. BU pushed the lead to 16 with a pair of free throws from Faith Ross but Hastings answered with a 7-2 run to close the quarter and trail 50-39 after three.

Bellevue scored the first 12 points of the fourth quarter in just 2:17 effectively putting the game away as the lead swelled to 23 points, 62-39, their largest of the evening.

Bellevue never trailed on the night and shot 49% from the floor while limiting Hastings to just 29% shooting and a devastating 5-for-22 effort from deep. BU took just 14 three-point attempts but hit on six and out-scored Hastings 21-9 in points off turnovers to offset a 15-2 deficit in second chance points.

Scott led the way with 17 on 7-of-11 shooting for Bellevue. Ross and VanBlaricon, who scored her points off the bench in the first half threw in 11 each, while Arnold and Miranda Hennings chipped in 10 apiece.

Bellevue kicks off conference play this weekend when they welcome Dakota State University to the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center for a 3 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Dec. 3.