No. 24 Jamestown rallies late to edge Bellevue, 76-71

Box Score
NSAA Standings

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The 24th-ranked University of Jamestown rallied in the final quarter, outscoring Bellevue University 25-16, to secure a 76-71 victory in North Star Athletic Association action Saturday afternoon at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.

The loss dropped the Bruins to 11-9 overall and 3-5 in NSAA play, while the Jimmies improved to 15-5 on the season and 5-4 in the conference.

Both teams recorded 26 field goals, but the Jimmies capitalized from beyond the arc, shooting 8-of-21 compared to Bellevue's 3-of-22 performance.

Key Performers

• Gabby Moore led the Bruins with 20 points and three assists, marking her eighth 20-point outing of the season.
• Ashtyn Arnold contributed 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
• Brandi Dunn rounded out the double-digit scorers for BU with 12 points, five boards, and two steals.

For Jamestown:

• Jessika Lofstrom tallied 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Jimmies.
• Kate Cordes added 15 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
• Jailyn Martinson scored 11 points with two rebounds and a pair of assists.
• Kate Busek narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with nine points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.

Game Recap
The Jimmies opened the scoring with a layup by Hannah Hagel, but the Bruins answered with nine straight points from four different players. A late surge, fueled by two Dunn baskets, helped BU close the first quarter with a 21-12 advantage.

A 7-0 run, sparked by five points from Lofstrom, brought Jamestown within two early in the second quarter. BU responded with a seven-point burst, capped by a Josias Mickens layup, extending the lead to 28-19. Despite four consecutive points from Moore, Jamestown closed the half with a 5-0 spurt, narrowing Bellevue's lead to 35-31 at the break.

Moore led all scorers in the first half with 14 points, while Dunn added seven points and four rebounds. Lofstrom paced the Jimmies with 10 points, and Cordes and Hagel chipped in six apiece.

The third quarter saw a momentum shift, as Jamestown used an 11-2 run, highlighted by a pair of Jayden Wiest 3-pointers, to take a 47-46 lead. Bellevue responded with a 9-4 stretch to regain a 55-51 edge heading into the final period.

The Bruins opened the fourth with two free throws by Arnold to build a six-point cushion, but the Jimmies stormed back with a 12-2 run, gaining a 63-59 advantage with 4:09 remaining. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Cordes and Busek extended Jamestown's lead to seven (73-66) with 1:40 left.

Bellevue made a late push with a Mickens jumper and an Arnold 3-pointer, trimming the deficit to two at 73-71 with 44 seconds left. However, after Martinson hit one of two free throws, the Bruins committed a costly turnover, and Busek sealed the victory with two final free throws.

Up Next
The Bruins will travel to Valley City, N.D., on Friday, Jan. 31, for a 5:30 p.m. matchup against Valley City State University.