MEN'S BASKETBALL TAKES THIRD PLACE AT PIERCE TOURNAMENT
The BCC Men’s Basketball team spent the holiday weekend playing three games at the Pierce College Thanksgiving Tournament, winning two games and taking home third place. BCC opened the tournament with a 76-69 victory over Northwest Indian College on November 23. The Bulldogs were paced by sophomore forward Josh Monagle who lead the team with 26 points and 10 rebounds while going 12/15 from the field. Second in scoring for Bellevue was redshirt freshman Curron Singleton who posted 16 points and 3 assists on 7/8 shooting. Freshman point guard Lorenzo Campbell led the team in assists with 4. BCC forced NW Indian into committing 31 turnovers, scoring 31 points off those turnovers. The Bulldogs controlled the pace for the majority of the game leading by as many as 23 before a late barrage of 3-point baskets by NW Indian cut into the Bellevue lead. The victory moved BCC into the winners’ bracket, and a semifinal matchup with region rival Shoreline.

With a trip to the championship game on the line the Bulldogs dropped a close game to the Shoreline Dolphins 71-66. Bellevue struggled to find a rhythm in the first half and found themselves down as many as 19 points before cutting the deficit to 12 at halftime. Picking up where they closed the first half, BCC gained their first lead of the game late in the second half, jumping ahead by 4 points with 4:30 to go on a 3-point basket by freshman guard Steve Stone. The Dolphins responded with a run of their own and held on for the victory. Stone tied Monagle and Sam Cartmell with 15 points apiece. 

The Bulldogs rebounded from a tough loss the previous night to defeat Lane CC 80-72 and claim 3rd place in the tournament. Bellevue was in-control for a majority of the game opening up a 20 point lead in the first half. BCC was lead by Stone who scored a career high 22 points and a team high 5 assists. Bellevue’s scoring was balanced, as Monagle and Cartmell both chipped in 16 for the Bulldogs, while Singleton and Michael Duty and rounded out the scoring with 11 and 10 respectively. The Bulldogs recorded a season best 23 assists, and forced Lane into 27 turnovers.

For his strong play throughout the tournament, Monagle was named to the All-Tournament First Team. In Bellevue's three games he totaled 57 points and 22 rebounds.

Up next for Bellevue is their home opener, a rematch against the Community Colleges of Spokane.  CCS defeated the Bulldogs in Spokane in the first game of the season.  Game time is set for 3:30pm.