MAYVILLE, ND – Back for the second weekend in a row at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse, the 14^th ranked Mayville State University Comet women's basketball team entertained the Bellevue University Bruins Friday night in the first of two weekend conference matchups in Mayville. A strong defensive performance by the Comets in the first half propelled Mayville State to a 66-50 win over the Bruins, who have received votes in the latest poll.
"I thought we defended well tonight," Comets head coach Dennis Hutter said. "We really rebounded and limited their chances from beyond the arc."
While the Comets and Bruins kept the game within six points for a majority of the first quarter, it was Jordan Zrust who blew the doors wide open with a free-throw with 2:44 to go in the quarter, followed just over a minute later by a huge three-pointer, which gave Mayville State a double-digit 10 point lead with 1:35 to go in the first quarter of play. The Zrust three-pointer was set up perfectly by Taylor Reilly's defensive board off a missed Jamie Winkler shot for the Bruins.
Elexis Martinez cut into the lead, making it single-digits with 55 seconds to go in the quarter.
Faith Ross stole the show early in the second quarter, pulling Bellevue to within a two-possession ballgame with just under two minutes gone in the second quarter. Martinez made it a four-point game with 7:11 to go in the half, but the Comets were able to stop things at that point, as Nicole Bunting hit a timely three-pointer, putting the Comets ahead 20-13 with 6:25 to go in the half.
The lead would dwindle to five, then go back to seven, as the Comets and Bruins matched back-to-back baskets with under six minutes to go in the half.
Kylee Heurung made a key three-point play on an and-one opportunity with five minutes to go, increasing the Comet lead to double-digits yet again.
With the game hanging in the balance heading into halftime, Zrust lit up the scoreboard again, draining a three-pointer with 1:35 to go in the half, putting Mayville State ahead 29-16. The Comets finished on 5-2 run over the final three minutes, taking a 12-point lead into the halftime break.
A quick 4-0 run, sparked by Claire Blascziek's three-point basket with just under three minutes gone in the third quarter, pulled the Comets ahead 34-18.
Ross then answered with a two-pointer, making it at 14-point game with 7:08 left in the third quarter. But, Zrust answered.
And she answered in a big way. Zrust nailed another three-pointer, pushing the lead to 37-20 with 6:42 to go in the third quarter, a lead that Mayville State would then push to 19 points, on a Taylor Skjordal bucket, on a second chance opportunity, with 6:05 to go in the quarter.
Bellevue cut the lead to 10 points with just over three minutes to go, but Cyan Hale answered, pushing the Comets to a 13-point lead with a three-pointer with 2:51 to go in the third. That sparked a 10-3 rally to put the Comets up 48-32 heading into the fourth quarter.
Bellevue made a comeback late, but timely free-throws by the Comets were too much for the Bruins. In the fourth quarter alone, the Comets were a perfect seven-for-seven from the free-throw line.
Four Comets finished in double-figures, led by Heurung's double-double, with 14 points and 11 rebounds, 10 of them coming off the defensive glass; Zrust also had 14 in the contest, including three three-pointers; Hale finished with 12 points; and Bunting finished with 10 points, including seven made free-throws.
The Comets improve to 20-2 overall, and a perfect 9-0 in conference play. Friday's win was Mayville State's 11^th in a row.
"I was proud of the team effort tonight," Hutter said. "It was a good home win for the players."
The Comets will host Dakota State on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse.