Bruins suffer first conference loss at MSU, 79-56

Box Score
NSAA Standings

MAYVILLE, N.D. -- The Bellevue University women's basketball team suffered its first conference loss of the season, falling at Mayville State University, 79-56 on Saturday afternoon at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse. 

With the loss, the Bruins fell to 10-8 on the season and 4-1 in the North Star Athletic Association. Mayville State improved to 12-4 overall and 4-1 in league play. 

The Bruin loss created a three-way tie for first place in the conference standings as BU, MSU and Dakota State are all 4-1 in NSAA action. 

Senior Asha Scott led the Bruins with 16 points and six rebounds. She was 7-of-14 from the field. Taylor Dement added nine points, six boards, and three assists.  

Jordan Zrust paced four Comets in double figures, finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds, and a pair of assists. MacKenzie Huges added 18 points and three rebounds. Jes Mertens (11) and Erin Walcker (10) combined for 21 points.  

Hughes scored four-straight points during a 7-0 Comet run as MSU grabbed an early 17-8 lead with 2:17 left in the first quarter. Dement's long triple capped a 5-0 Bruin spurt as BU battled back to within three points before a 3-pointer by Walcker just before the buzzer gave MSU a 19-13 advantage after the opening 10 minutes of play. 

A pair of 3-pointers in the opening two minutes of the second quarter extended the MSU margin to 10 points at 28-18 with 7:07 remaining before halftime. Neither team scored again for over three-and-a-half minutes until a free throw by Faith Ross made it a single-digit contest at the 3:34 mark. MSU did not make a field goal in the final seven minutes of the half but hit five free throws to maintain a 33-23 edge at the intermission. 

Scott led BU in the opening half with eight points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. No other Bruin had more than four points in the first 20 minutes of play. 

Zrust (10) and Mertens (8) combined for 18 points to pace the MSU offense if the first half. 

After a traditional three-point play by Ashtyn Arnold sliced the lead to single digits, MSU drained two-straight 3-pointers to take a 15-point advantage at 43-28 with 5:34 left in the third frame. Arnold scored four straight to pull BU to within 11 points at 46-35 at the 4:28 mark. 

The Comets used a 10-6 run to close the quarter as BU did not make a field goal in the final 4:53, missing seven-straight shots to give MSU a 56-40 cushion heading into the final stanza. 

MSU built a 21-point margin following a jumper by Hughes in the paint, giving the Comets a commanding 61-40 edge with 8:28 left in the contest. 

The Bruins never got closer than 19 points the remainder of the contest as MSU cruised to the 79-56 victory.   

Bellevue will continue its four-game road swing when the Bruins travel to Forest City, Iowa, next Friday, Jan. 20, for a 5:30 p.m. matchup at Waldorf University.