The Bellevue University men’s basketball team has some experience flirting with danger.
Like the MCAC championship game. Taylor Young made a game-winning layup with 1.6 seconds left in overtime to give the Bruins the conference title.
Of the team’s five losses, four were by less than five points. Last Tuesday’s win was the sixth straight for Bellevue. During that streak, coach Shane Paben said his team has made big plays down the stretch.
“The last five games, we’ve hit shots to take the lead when we were either tied or behind,” Paben said. “The reason that’s important is because we had those shots earlier in the season, and we weren’t able to even get an attempt off or missed the shot.”
The Bruins finished this season 28-5, the same record as last year. The difference is that this team has been tournament-tested. Six players are veterans of the NAIA Division II tournament in Point Lookout, Missouri.
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“Last year’s group of guys did not have experience,’’ Paben said. “This year going down there, they know what to expect.’’
Percy Lemle was part of last season’s squad, but as a redshirt. This season, he was named to the All-MCAC team and the league’s co-newcomer of the year.
Lemle said wins like the MCAC championship game have helped the Bruins’ confidence.
“It helps us keep our composure,” Lemle said. “We never feel like we have to rush or panic or anything.”
It’s the 13th straight time that Bellevue has qualified for nationals. The Bruins face Grace (Indiana) in their opener at 10:15 a.m. Thursday.
“It feels really good, that’s the goal and expectation at Bellevue,” Paben said. “To have a program that competes at a national level. And getting to that tournament each year is a lot tougher than it looks.”
The Bruins have finished as runners-up twice, most recently in 2008. They have never brought home a national championship, and Paben said his team needs to do two things to change that.
“Keep our mental focus through 40 minutes of basketball and play with a great energy, particularly on the defensive end,” he said.
Those close calls, he said, should help.
“When it gets tough, we just stick together,” Lemle said. “I think that will benefit us in the national tournament.”
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