VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- The 13th-ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team held 19th-ranked Valley City State University to just 35.8 percent shooting on the evening but connected on just 28.4 percent of their shots as they dropped their first North Star Athletic Association game of the season, 66-60, in overtime to the Vikings.
The first half was a slugfest with the two sides combining to shoot just 28.8 percent in the opening 20 minutes. During that time, Bellevue built a 26-21 lead to take into the locker room, paced by Jerred Cook's nine points, including hitting his first three three-point field goal attempts of the night.
The Vikings came out strong in the second half, out-scoring the Bruins 8-2 in the first 3:53 of the period. The game was a back and forth affair from there as the contest featured six ties and five lead changes.
After a pair of free throws by Jayden Ferguson with 50 seconds to play cut the BU lead to 56-55 Carl Robinson stepped to the line and connected on one of two free throws to establish a two-point Bruin lead. On the ensuing possession Ferguson knocked down a jumper to tie the game. Fisher missed a jump shot at the buzzer and the game proceeded to overtime.
Valley City scored first in overtime and never trailed. Bellevue cut the lead to one on two separate occasions, a made free throw by Marquis Aaron and a pair of makes from the stripe by Olutola Olushola. That's as close as Bellevue would get as the Vikings' Riley West hit on five of seven attempts from the line in the final 33 seconds to secure the win.
Carl Robinson led four Bruins in double-figures with 12 points while Mike Cardenas and Cook added 11 while Bobby Fisher chipped in with 10. Fisher led the Bruins with seven rebounds as Bellevue held a narrow 46-44 edge on the glass. The Bruins dip to 1-2 in overtime games on the season.
Ferguson and Justyn Galloway co-led the Vikings with 14 points apiece while LJ Booth paced Valley City with 12 rebounds.
The Bruins (9-5 | 2-1 North Star) are back in action on Tuesday, Dec. 15 when they host Grace University in a non-conference match-up at 7 p.m.