V-Hawks end Season with Loss to Bellevue

BELLEVUE, Neb. - The Viterbo University Women's Basketball team traveled to Nebraska for the opening round of the NSAA tournament. The V-Hawks received the sixth seed in the tournament taking on the third-seeded Bruins. Viterbo fell to Bellevue 50-73 bringing their season record to 7-20 (4-10 NSAA) while the Bruins rise to 17-11 (10-4 NSAA). Bellevue will move on to play No. 2 seed Mayville State University on Saturday.

Bellevue's Ashtyn Arnold scored the first points of the game with a layup at the 9:04 mark. The Bruins quickly stretched their lead with Arnold landing a three-pointer bringing the score to 0-9 with six minutes left in the quarter. Delaney VanBlaricon added another three for Bellevue forcing a timeout by Viterbo at the 4:05 mark. Natalia Leguizamon would put up the first and only points on the board for the V-Hawks in quarter one, 3-13. The Bruins would score once more with Viterbo trailing to end the quarter 3-15. 

Leguizamon added a layup to start quarter two for the V-Hawks. A three-pointer by Julia Salmon quickly followed with Viterbo only trailing by three, 11-15. That would be the closest they get to the Bruins as Ross Faith contributed a three-pointer widening the gap for Bellevue, 11-20. Leguizamon landed a pair of free-throws at the 3:49 mark with the V-Hawks trailing 15-21. Viterbo senior, Kaitlyn Kennedy added a free throw with four seconds left in quarter two going into halftime 23-29.

Tyreesha Blaylock contributed a three to lead off quarter three before Bellevue would go on a 14-0 run forcing a Viterbo timeout with 4:33 left in the quarter. Sophie Leinfelder recorded a three-pointer at the 3:03 mark for the V-Hawks bringing the score to 31-51. Leguizamon landed a couple free-throws to end quarter three with the V-Hawks down 35-59.

 Quarter four started off with a few free-throws by the V-Hawks before Salmon put up a jumper at the 5:57 mark with the score at 42-64. Nicole Johnson contributed two pairs of free-throws followed by a Kennedy jumper at the 2:29 mark with Viterbo still trailing 50-70. A three-pointer by VanBlaricon would end the game 50-73.

Leguizamon led Viterbo with 15 points and 2 steals. Leinfelder contributed 10 points. Kaitlyn Kennedy and Gina Stefferud each added 5 rebounds.

Faith Ross led the Bruins with 17 points followed by Asha Scott with 16 points and 7 rebounds. VanBlaricon added 14 points. Laura Jurek contributed 10 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals.