WATERTOWN, S.D. -- After struggling to season-low 33.9 field goal percentage on the afternoon the Bellevue University men's basketball team ultimately succumbed to third-seeded Mayville State University, 66-55, on Sunday in the North Star Athletic Association Championship Game at the Watertown Civic Arena.
Mayville State improves to 20-8 on the season as the Comets captured their second-straight NSAA Tournament Title and earn the North Star's lone automatic bid to next week's NAIA Division II National Tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Mayville State's Gorg Alhag was named Tournament MVP after averaging 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists for the Comets in the Final Four.
Bellevue finished the season with a 19-14 overall record and a share of the NSAA Regular-Season Championship. BU sees their run of 16-consecutive NAIA Division II National Tournament appearances and 18-straight 20-win seasons ended.
Both teams struggled from the floor in the early going until Creighton Pfau scored off an offensive rebound to give Mayville State a 6-4 lead at the 14:41 mark.
The game stayed close from there but Bellevue never again led nor did they tie the game.
After BU's Sequan Walker sank a pair of free throws to cut the MSU lead to 20-17, Mayville State went on a 13-6 run to take a double figure lead. Stephen Matthews sank a three with four seconds left in the half to get the margin down to seven, 33-26 at the break.
Bellevue pulled to within five on multiple occasions in the second half but seven-straight Comet points put MSU up 42-30 with 15:05 to play and Bellevue was unable to shoot their way back into contention.
As a team, the Bruins were just 3-of-22 (13.6) percent from beyond the arc and were unable to take advantage of a 40-30 rebounding edge.
Sequan Walker notched a double-double, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds, to lead Bellevue. Justin Bessard scored nine and Richard Reed tossed in eight in the loss.
Daniel Lindgren paced MSU with 18 points, as one of five Comets to score in double figures, to go along with five boards. Kobe Critchley and Alhag each scored 11 and dished out five assists while Max Cooper and Eric Staebler scored 10 apiece.
