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Neb. (VCSUVikings.com) – The Valley City State women’s basketball team suffered a tough road loss Friday night, falling 65-58 at Bellevue University.

The No. 19-ranked Vikings led 29-26 at halftime, but Bellevue outscored VCSU 39-29 over the final 20 minutes for the victory.

Valley City State drops to 12-3 overall and 4-2 in the North Star Athletic Association. Bellevue improves to 9-9 overall and 3-2 in the NSAA.

After going down 50-43 early in the fourth quarter, the Vikings rallied back to within one possession three separate times down the stretch but were unable to convert on opportunities to tie the game. A quick 5-0 spurt by Bellevue gave the Bruins a 60-52 lead with 2 minutes to go and they made five free throws in the final 90 seconds to seal the victory.

Valley City State shot 47 percent from the field (21-45), 35 percent on 3’s (6-17) and 91 percent at the line (10-11). Bellevue shot 44 percent overall (21-48), 50 percent on 3’s (6-12) and 71 percent at the line (17-24).

Bellevue’s defense forced 20 Viking turnovers while the Bruins turned it over 14 times.

Lexi Lennon led the Viking offense with 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting. Kate Williams hit three 3’s and scored 13 points, and Mackenzie Huber added 12 points and six rebounds.

Bellevue’s Ryleigh McCartney led all scorers with 22 points after knocking down five ‘3s in the game. The victory was the first ever for Bellevue’s women against a ranked opponent. The Bruins are in their second season fielding a women’s basketball team.

Up next: Valley City State will try to bounce back Saturday afternoon when they play a 3 p.m. game at Dakota State University. That game can be heard on KOVC 1490-AM and www.newsdakota.com