BELLEVUE, Neb. -- In a game that featured five ties and 12 lead changes, the Bellevue University men's basketball team pulled away late while recording a 71-60 victory over visiting Presentation College Saturday night in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The largest lead for either team was 12 points in a matchup that also saw a combined 46 free-throw attempts.
With the win, Bellevue improved to 15-12 on the season and 7-4 in the NSAA. BU is one-game out of first place in the NSAA standings. Presentation fell to 3-21 overall and 0-11 in league play.
Jemeil King (20) and Michael Wright (19) combined for 39 points to lead the BU offense. King was 5-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from behind the arc while nailing 8-of-9 free-throw attempts. King also added five rebounds and four assists.
Vaj Rice registered 11 points and a career-high six rebounds in the victory.
Qaiyoom Olanlege paced the Saints with 18 points and seven boards. Dwight Felton and Jalonni McCorvey added 14 points each.
A layup by King capped an 8-2 BU run, giving the Bruins a 16-11 lead, the largest margin for either team in the opening half. The first half saw four ties and 12 lead changes as BU took a narrow 36-35 lead into the intermission.
Neither team connected on a 3-pointer in the opening half.
Wright led BU in the first half with 11 points and two rebounds. Rice added nine points and two boards
Felton guided the Saints in the opening 20 minutes with 10 points and a pair of assists.
A layup by Vinny Belcaster gave the Bruins a 48-41 lead at the 14-minute mark, highlighting a 10-3 BU run.
After being held scoreless for nearly three minutes, the Bruins went on a 9-2 run to take a 57-46 lead with 8:20 left in the contest. It marked the first double-digit lead for either team in the contest. A layup by King gave BU a 12-point cushion (63-51) at the 5:35 mark.
The Saints responded with a 7-2 spurt, thanks to five free throws, to draw to within seven points (65-58) with 2:10 remaining.
King drained all six of his free-throw attempts in the final minute to seal the 71-60 victory.
The Bruins will travel to Valley City, N.D. next Friday, Feb. 12, for a 7:30 p.m. contest at Valley City State University.
