Bruins’ late rally falls short in 63-56 setback to Carroll

Box Score
Frontier Standings

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Carroll College converted 21 Bellevue University turnovers into 24 points and made 14-of-15 free throws to secure a 63-56 Frontier Conference women's basketball win Friday evening at the BU Fieldhouse.

With the loss, the Bruins fell to 9-13 overall and 5-12 in Frontier play. Carroll, which is receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll, improved to 16-7 on the season and 14-3 in conference action. The Saints shot 45.8 percent from the field and 93.3 percent at the line, while BU finished at 44.7 percent overall and 42.9 percent from 3-point range but was minus-eight in turnovers.

Drasoni Kyles tied a career high with a game-high 16 points, going 6-for-12 from the field and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc with two rebounds, four assists and two steals. Jhanel Coleman pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds off the bench, including 10 on the defensive glass. Zakiyyah Muhammad added 11 points, two rebounds and two steals, and Dru Zoucha and Emma Russell provided eight and nine points, respectively. Joy Beran finished with eight points and six rebounds.

Carroll was led by a 40-point combination from guards Willa Albrecht and Kenzie Allen. Albrecht totaled 20 points on 6-for-13 shooting with two 3-pointers and three steals, while Allen matched her with 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting, 6-for-6 free-throw accuracy and eight rebounds. Meagan Karstetter chipped in seven points and three rebounds, and Ava Oakland added six points, two rebounds and a block off the bench.

How It Happened

Carroll opened with a balanced first quarter, taking a 15-12 lead after 10 minutes behind early scoring from Albrecht and Allen. Kyles and Beran supplied much of BU's offense in the frame, keeping the Bruins within one possession despite three early turnovers.

Bellevue responded with its best stretch of the night in the second quarter. The Bruins used dribble penetration and interior touches to move in front and eventually built their largest advantage of seven points with just under five minutes remaining in the half. Carroll closed the gap before the break, however, using late scoring from Allen and Albrecht to trim the deficit and edge back in front, 33-32, at halftime.

The Saints created separation in the third quarter. After the teams traded baskets early in the period, Carroll pieced together a key stretch built on stops and paint touches, pushing its lead into double figures and eventually to its largest margin of 13 late in the quarter. BU struggled with turnovers during the frame and trailed 50-42 heading into the fourth.

The Bruins made multiple pushes in the final period. Kyles sparked the first surge, grabbing an offensive rebound and knocking down a jumper in the lane to cut the deficit to 53-49 with 6:24 to play. Carroll answered out of a timeout, scoring on a layup by Karstetter to restore a six-point cushion.

Bellevue's final rally came in the closing minutes. Trailing by eight, the Bruins used a layup by Zoucha to pull within 60-54 at the 2:55 mark, then drew closer when Muhammad scored in the paint to make it 60-56 with 2:06 remaining. Carroll responded on the next possession as Allen converted a jumper in the lane to push the margin back to six.

BU forced several defensive stops in the final minute but could not capitalize on the offensive end. With 26 seconds left, Jillian Kanduch split a pair of free throws to extend the Saints' lead to 63-56, and the Bruins were unable to score on their final trip, allowing Carroll to close out the seven-point win.

Top Performers

Bellevue University

Drasoni Kyles – 16 points (6-for-12 FG, 2-for-3 3FG, 2-for-3 FT), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals (tied career high in points)

Jhanel Coleman – 12 rebounds (10 defensive), 1 assist, 1 block (career high in rebounds)

Zakiyyah Muhammad – 11 points (3-for-6 FG, 1-for-1 3FG, 4-for-5 FT), 2 rebounds, 2 steals

Dru Zoucha – 9 points (4-for-5 FG, 1-for-2 3FG), 1 rebound, 2 assists

Emma Russell – 8 points (3-for-7 FG, 2-for-5 3FG), 1 rebound

Joy Beran – 8 points (3-for-6 FG), 6 rebounds, 3 assists

Carroll College

Willa Albrecht – 20 points (6-for-13 FG, 2-for-3 3FG, 6-for-6 FT), 5 rebounds, 3 steals

Kenzie Allen – 20 points (7-for-14 FG, 6-for-6 FT), 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 block

Meagan Karstetter – 7 points (3-for-4 FG, 1-for-1 3FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Jillian Kanduch – 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Ava Oakland – 6 points (2-for-4 FG, 2-for-3 3FG), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

Inside the Numbers

Carroll shot 45.8 percent from the field (22-for-48), 45.5 percent from 3-point range (5-for-11) and 93.3 percent at the line (14-for-15). BU finished at 44.7 percent overall (21-for-47), 42.9 percent from deep (6-for-14), and 80.0 percent at the stripe (8-for-10).

The Bruins held a 31-23 edge on the glass, including a 9-5 advantage in offensive rebounds.

Despite the rebounding edge, BU was outscored 24-15 in points off turnovers, as the Bruins committed 21 turnovers to 13 for Carroll.

Points in the paint favored the Saints 32-28, while second-chance points were 4-3 in favor of BU. Fast-break scoring was nearly even, 4-3 in Carroll's favor, and bench points were 11-8 for the Saints.

The game featured four ties and six lead changes, with both teams holding multi-possession leads at different points before Carroll's late defensive stands proved decisive.

Up Next

The Bruins will host 23rd-ranked Rocky Mountain College tomorrow (Feb. 7) beginning at 5 p.m. inside the BU Fieldhouse.