Bruins top Warriors in season finale

Morgan Straight paced the Warriors (2-26, 0-16) with 17 points and three assists. The 5-foot-4 freshman guard from Belle Plaine shot 60 percent, knocking down 6-of-10 attempts from the field and going 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) from 3-point range.

Waldorf sophomore Taylor Fricke added 13 points, a team-high three steals and two assists. Fricke connected on 5-of-11 (45.5 percent) shots from the floor and finished 3-of-8 (37.5 percent) behind the arc.

Junior Peyton Russell provided 11 points for the Warriors. Sophomore Ameh Ogbemudia turned in seven points. Ogbemudia led Waldorf with eight rebounds and blocked three shots. Sophomore Meriel Leavy contributed two points, seven boards, three assists and two steals. Redshirt freshman Angie Gore handed out two assists.

Angeliece Tucker had the hot hand for the Bruins (16-14, 9-7), netting a game-high 27 points in a strong showing from downtown. Tucker shot a scorching 69.2 percent, going 9-of-13 from the field and 9-of-12 (75 percent) from the perimeter.

Bellevue’s Caletria Curtis dropped in 13 points, pulled down eight rebounds, dished out a game-high seven assists and collected two steals. Curtis hit 4-of-8 (50 percent) shots from the floor and went 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) at the free-throw line.

Christen Voyles also scored in double figures for the Bruins, notching 10 points on a 5-of-7 (71.4-percent) shooting effort from the field.

Bellevue shot 44.6 percent, going 25-of-56 from the floor and 11-of-28 (39.3 percent) from 3-point range. The Bruins made their presence known down low, outscoring the Warriors 26-10 in the paint. Waldorf was limited to a 30.8-percent shooting performance as they went 16-of-52 from the field and 10-of-25 (40 percent) behind the arc.

The Warriors converted on 8-of-12 (66.7 percent) trips to the foul line while Bellevue finished 7-of-16 (43.8 percent).

Waldorf and the Bruins corralled 36 rebounds each. Despite both teams hauling in 13 offensive boards apiece, Bellevue claimed a 15-6 advantage in second-chance points.

The Warriors committed 23 turnovers, which led the Bruins to a 25-13 advantage in points off turnovers and a 4-2 edge in fast-break points. Bellevue turned the ball over 17 times.

Waldorf scored the first basket of the contest as Ogbemudia provided a layup to give the Warriors their only lead of the game. The Bruins led by as many as seven points while ending the first quarter with a 12-9 advantage.

Bellevue raced to a 30-13 halftime lead. The Bruins shot 11-of-31 (35.5 percent) from the field and 5-of-18 (27.8 percent) from 3-point range in the first half. Waldorf, which was held to just four points in the second quarter, shot 17.4 percent in the first half. The Warriors went 4-of-23 from the floor and 2-of-13 (15.4 percent) behind the arc.

In an evenly-played second half, Bellevue narrowly outscored Waldorf by a 38-37 margin. The Bruins caught fire during the second half, shooting 14-of-25 (56 percent) from the field and 6-of-10 (60 percent) from 3-point land. Waldorf significantly improved its shooting in the second half, finishing 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) from the floor and 8-of-12 (66.7 percent) from downtown.

The Bruins continued building their lead, going in front by as many as 21 points in the third quarter. They led 48-29 after three quarters.

Bellevue went back on top by 20 points, leading 56-36 with 5 minutes, 47 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. The Warriors put together a 9-2 run to trim the Bellevue’s lead to 58-45 with 3:13 remaining, but the Bruins responded and pulled away down the stretch.

The contest marked the end of the season for Waldorf. Fielding a young team consisting of three juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen, the Warriors return their entire roster during the 2017-18 campaign. Waldorf aims to further its success by working hard in the off-season.