Bruins fall in first road test of season

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- A slow shooting night saw the Bellevue University women's basketball team fall 65-52 to Mount Mercy University on Thursday evening at the Hennessey Rec Center in the Bruins' first road game of the season.

The game was the home-opener for Mount Mercy, who improved to 2-1 with their second-straight victory. The loss dropped Bellevue to 1-1 on the year.

Both teams looked out of sync offensively in the first quarter, combining to shoot just 26% (9-34) from the floor, although they were more respectable from three-point range, going 5-16 (31%), and combined for eight turnovers.

The host side jumped ahead 6-0 on a pair of three-pointers from Aubrey Luvan and Sadie Struchen before Zakiyyah Muhammad scored a driving layup to put Bellevue on the board. The Mustang lead bounced between 2-5 points for much of the quarter, but a trey from Taylee Wharton pulled Bellevue within one point, 12-11, with 2:09 to play. However, Bellevue went scoreless for the remainder of the quarter, and Mount Mercy held a 14-11 lead after one.

Dru Zoucha canned a three from the wing at the 7:55 mark of the second quarter, but that was the lone field goal in a 1-6 stretch for BU that saw Mount Mercy use a 9-2 run to extend their lead to a game-high seven points, 21-14, on a jumper from Taylor Rose with 5:36 to play in the half.

A layup from Muhammad put a half to the run, but a missed three and a pair of turnovers saw Mount Mercy push their lead to double figures, 26-16, on a trifecta from Isabel Wallschlager at the 3:13 mark.

The Mustangs upped their advantage to as many as 15 points, taking a 32-18 lead into halftime. Wallschlager and Ellie Morrill co-led the way with six apiece for MMU, while Wharton's five paced Bellevue. The Mustangs shot 33% in the first half while holding BU to just a 21% effort from the floor.

After Mount Mercy worked the lead to 16 points, Bellevue scored 11 of the next 15 points, capped by a three from Drasoni Kyles out of a media timeout to cut the lead to single digits for the first time since there were over three minutes left in the second quarter. Bellevue had a look at the line in the final seconds to get within seven, but a pair of misses gave the Mustangs the last look in the quarter, with Wallschlager hitting an off-balance three at the buzzer to take a 51-39 lead into the fourth quarter.

Mount Mercy kept Bellevue at a comfortable distance in the fourth, never letting the Bruins cut to within single digits. Morris scored a layup 25 seconds into the period to key an 8-2 run for a game-best 18-point lead. The Mustangs held the Bruins without a fourth-quarter field goal until the 2:38 mark as they secured the 13-point victory.

Muhammad finished with team-highs of 16 points on 6-12 shooting and nine rebounds. Joy Beran added nine points and six boards while Jhanel Coleman and Kaylee Denker hauled down eight rebounds apiece.

Bellevue finished the game just 17-54 (32%) from the floor and 5-19 (26%) from beyond the arc and turned the ball over 18 times, finishing minus-13 in turnovers.

The Mustangs shot 24-71 (34%) from the field, including 3-12 (25%) from long range, but out-rebounded BU 53-45 on the night, including grabbing 25 offensive boards, which they converted into a 20-10 advantage in second-chance points.

Wallschlager led the Mustangs with 16 and was joined in double figures by Morrill, who had seven rebounds. Luvan chipped in nine for Mount Mercy.

Bellevue returns home next weekend when they host the Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown Classic with the Bruins tipping off on Friday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m. against Tabor College and hosting Midland University at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8.