LA CROSSE, Wis. -- Led by senior Paulo Araujo, the Bellevue University men's basketball team pulled out a 93-87 double-overtime victory over Indiana University - Northwest Friday night in the Gundersen Hotel & Suites Viterbo Invitational played at the Viterbo Athletic Center.
The Bruins, who had five players in double figures, improved to 4-3 on the season. IUNW fell to 2-4 overall.
Araujo hit 7-of-9 from long range, scoring a season-high 26 points while adding five rebounds.
Vinny Belcaster added 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, and a steal. Keenami Maggard came off the bench to register 12 points and six boards.
Martis Johnson finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Christian Carter hit 8-of-10 free throws, finishing with 10 points and five boards.
Jared Johnson (20), Isaac Stanback (19), and Lamarius Lillard (16) combined for 55 points to pace the RedHawk offense.
After Jared Johnson opened the game with a 3-pointer for the RedHawks, the Bruins reeled off 19-straight points, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Araujo.
BU hit 10 of its first 12 shots, including 6-of-7 from behind the arc, to build a 33-15 advantage midway through the opening half.
IUNW scored nine-straight points as BU cooled off, missing six-straight shots, including four 3-pointers to pull the RedHawks to within single digits at 33-24 with 4:24 left in the half.
After consecutive layups by Martis Johnson gave the Bruins a 37-24 edge, the RedHawks countered with a pair of buckets to make it 37-28 at the intermission.
Araujo led the Bruins in the opening 20 minutes of play with nine points and a pair of rebounds. Belcaster, Johnson, and Maggard scored eight points apiece in the first half as BU shot 50 percent from the field and from behind the arc.
Lillard paced the RedHawks with nine first-half points.
A 6-1 IUNW run pulled the RedHawks to within four points at 44-40 with 16:14 left in regulation.
After the Bruins built an eight-point advantage, IUNW clawed its way back to within four points on another 3-pointer by Jared Johnson to make it a four-point game again at 54-50 at the 10-minute mark.
An 11-1 IUNW run capped by a 3-pointer from Jared Johnson gave the RedHawks a 61-57 lead with 7:27 remaining.
Capped by a 3-pointer from Araujo, the Bruins scored eight unanswered points to take a 71-69 lead at the 3:11 mark.
A pair of free throws by Belcaster tied the game at 74-all with 27 seconds remaining. A missed jumper by Jared Johnson at the buzzer put the game into overtime.
Five-straight BU points gave the Bruins a 79-76 advantage midway through the first overtime period.
Trailing 81-78 with nine seconds remaining in the first overtime, Stanback nailed a deep 3-pointer to knot the game at 81-81.
Belcaster missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force a second extra period.
After De'Avion Washington's layup gave IUNW a two-point lead to open the second OT, Araujo drilled back-to-back jumpers from behind the arc to give the Bruins an 87-83 edge with 3:37 remaining.
IUNW responded with baskets by Miller and Jared Johnson to tie the contest at 87-all with 1:27 left in the second extra period.
BU drained 6-of-8 free throws in the final minute to seal the 93-87 victory.
The Bruins will conclude the tournament on Saturday (Nov. 19) with a noon contest against Cardinal Stritch University.
