YORK, Neb. -- Michael Dotson and Darius Robinson both scored 20 points and the Bruins pulled away in the final minutes as the 13th-ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team recorded an 84-74 win over Concordia (Neb.) University Saturday afternoon in the York Tip-Off Classic.
The Bruins improved to 2-1 on the season with the win, while Concordia dropped to 1-2.
Dotson finished with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field while connecting on three 3-pointers and adding five rebounds. Robinson was 8-of-8 from the free-throw line while recording his second 20-point performance of the season.
Dominque Grant registered his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while adding six assists. Rolands Narkis was the fourth Bruin in double figures, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds.
The Bulldogs were led by Porter Birtell's 23 points.
A 3-pointer by Dotson gave BU at seven-point advantage at 33-26 with 2:38 remaining in the first half. Concordia went on a 13-2 run to take a four-point lead with just over a minute remaining before Bellevue scored the final four points of the half, forcing a 39-all tie at intermission.
Dotson led the Bruins in the opening half with 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting, including 3-of-3 from behind the arc. Birtell (12) and Joel Haywood (10) combined for 22 points to pace the Bulldog offense in the first period.
Bellevue drilled eight-consecutive free throws during a 10-point second-half run to erase a six-point deficit, giving the Bruins a 64-60 advantage with 9:19 remaining in the contest.
A jumper by Robinson at the seven-minute mark gave BU a 68-63 lead, before the Bulldogs scored six-consecutive points to regain the lead at 69-68 with 4:40 left in the game.
The Bruins closed the game on a 16-5 run to pull away for the 84-74 victory. Bellevue nailed seven free throws in the final two minutes to seal the victory.
The Bruins will head to Huntington, Ind. next Friday-Saturday, Nov. 9-10, to participate in the Huntington University Classic.
Scoring Summary
Concordia (1-2) 39 35 - 74
Bellevue (2-1) 39 45 - 84
CU: Birtell, 23; Vogt, 17; Haywood, 15; Towner, 7, Dunbar, 6; Houchin, 4; Smith, 2
BU: Robinson, 20; Dotson, 20; Grant, 15; Narkis 10; Zamudio, 9; Goodwin, 7; Davis, 3
