Courtesy of Midland Athletics
BELLEVUE, Neb. — Midland University was back in action Saturday afternoon against Bellevue University for day two of the Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown Classic in Bellevue, Nebraska. The Warriors fell to the Bruins, 78-66.
The Bruins jumped out to an early 11-0 lead before a layup by Skylar Indra put Midland on the board. After trading baskets, the Warriors cut the deficit to seven with a layup by Aiyana Kroll and a 3-pointer from Jenna Weber. Bellevue responded with a 3-pointer and two free throws before Midland went on a 6-0 run to pull within four with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Bruins answered back again, but a 3-pointer by Weber and two defensive stops in the final 30 seconds kept the margin at five, with Midland trailing 25-20 at the end of the opening period.
After a short break, Midland and Bellevue continued to trade baskets to start the second quarter. A layup and free throws by the Bruins stretched their lead to nine, but the Warriors battled back with free throws from Carla Cencerrero Gallego and Indra, forcing a Bellevue timeout. Out of the break, the Bruins responded with a pair of 3-pointers and a jumper with three and a half minutes remaining. Midland’s strong defensive effort held Bellevue to just two points in the final two minutes of the half, but the Warriors trailed 47-33 at the break.
Following intermission, a quick 3-pointer by Weber cut the deficit to 11, but Bellevue extended its lead again with a layup and another 3-pointer. With five and a half minutes remaining in the third, the teams traded 3-pointers before Midland chipped away at the lead. A free throw and jumper from Weber, along with a basket by Zoey Sims, helped the Warriors outscore the Bruins 9-2 to close the quarter.
Offense slowed for both teams to open the fourth before a jumper by Weber tightened the margin to 62-56. Despite Midland’s push, a 3-pointer from Drasoni Kyles helped Bellevue regain control. The Warriors hung around, as free throws and back-to-back baskets from Weber trimmed the deficit to five with four and a half minutes to go. However, the Bruins outscored the Warriors 5-0 down the stretch to secure the win.
Weber led Midland with a career-high 36 points, adding three rebounds and two steals. Indra contributed 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
The Warriors shot 23-of-53 (43.4%) from the field, while the Bruins went 26-of-62 (41.9%). Bellevue held a 39-30 edge on the glass, though Midland’s bench outscored the Bruins’ reserves 25-21.
Midland (0-4) returns to Fremont next Saturday for its home opener and Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup against Morningside. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
