LA CROSSE, Wis. -- Despite being saddled with significant foul trouble throughout and a 27-16 free throw discrepancy, the Bellevue University men's basketball team rallied from every deficit they faced to defeat Viterbo University 59-53 on Saturday evening in North Star Athletic Association play at the R.W. Beggs Sr. Gymnasium.
Bellevue improves to 15-9 with their third-straight conference win to remain atop the NSAA standings at 7-2. Viterbo who began the weekend in a tie atop the league standings falls to 11-11 overall and 5-4 in league play.
Paulo Araujo led all players with 19 points, despite playing nearly the entire second half with four fouls. Justin Motley recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards to go along with a pair of blocks and Martis Johnson scored 11 on the night.
Bellevue turned in a masterclass in defending conference leading scorer Jack Monis, who was frustrated into going 1-4 from the floor and a miserable 4-12 at the free throw line to finish with just 6 points, 10 below his season average. Robert Cunitz led three V-Hawks in double figures with 14 points. Noah Fredrickson added 12 and Brady Polk tossed in 10.
Bellevue trailed by as many as 10 points and led for a total of just over six minutes in the game before pulling out a 59-53 road win.
Following a slow start, Nicolas Malovrh opened the scoring with a three-pointer for Viterbo. Bellevue found some offense, answering with a quick 7-0 run in 1:40 of game time.
Bellevue's lead proved short-lived following a 16-2 V-Hawk run to put the host side up 19-9.
Araujo finally slowed the momentum with a three-pointer at the 7:30 mark.
A pair of free throws by Fredrickson put Viterbo up 21-12 but six-straight Bruin points – a layup and two free throws from Motley and a three from Taylor Pomeroy – pulled the Bruins within two, 21-19.
Polk ran off five-straight points for Viterbo to put the V-Hawks but in front by seven.
Despite having as many turnovers as field goals in the half, BU trailed just 30-23 at the intermission.
Motley led Bellevue with eight points and seven rebounds in the half while the Bruins received seven points from Araujo and six from Pomeroy.
The Bruins came out strong following the halftime break, using a 7-2 spurt to close to within 32-30 before Cunitz his a three for Viterbo.
After the V-Hawks pushed the lead back to seven, Bellevue worked to cut it to one, 40-39, on a driving layup from Christian Carter.
Viterbo again stretched their lead, to 45-39, but the Bruins countered with six-straight points as Araujo tied the game with a transition layup.
BU finally took their first lead since the opening minutes when Eric Pierce sank a pair of free throws with 2:32 to play after fouling out one Viterbo's two post players.
On the ensuing possession, Pierce came up with a steal and layup to push the lead to 53-50.
Fredrickson hit a three from the win to tie things back up for Viterbo with 2:14 left.
Following a timeout, Johnson scored a reverse layup to put BU back on top and Pierce came up with a huge block on the defensive end to keep Bellevue in front.
A BU turnover at the offensive end gave Viterbo the ball with under a minute to play but Bellevue's nationally-ranked defense forced a desperation heave at the end of the shot clock that Pierce came down with the rebound on.
Pierce stepped to the free throw line and sank both shots with 16.2 to play.
Polk missed a driving layup that Vinny Belcaster came up with the rebound on and the Bruins got a timeout called.
Araujo sank a pair of free throws with 5.1 seconds left to account for the final margin.
Bellevue plays their final road games of the season next weekend. The Bruins face Mayville State University Friday night at 7:30 and visit Presentation College Saturday at 5 p.m.
