LA CROSSE, Wis. -- A 21-13 free throw deficit and a minus-seven turnover margin saw the Bellevue University come up short against Viterbo University on Saturday afternoon, falling 65-60 in North Star Athletic Association action on Saturday afternoon.
Bellevue improves to 12-9 overall and 4-3 in conference play, slipping now three games behind first place. Viterbo ups their record to 12-8 overall and 6-1 in NSAA play.
Paulo Araujo scored 18 of his game-high 26 points in the second half and Taylor Pomeroy scored 10 before fouling out in the final minute.
Ben Olson led three V-Hawks in double figures, finishing with 18 points. Robert Cunitz and Jack Monis scored 14 and 10, respectively.
The game was tight early with the lead shifting back and forth a few times before Viterbo engineered a run to turn a 13-13 game into a 37-24 lead over the final 11:08 of the first half.
Olson had 11 at the break to lead all scorers with Monis adding eight and Araujo pacing BU with eight of his own.
Trailing 41-26, Araujo bookended a 10-0 Bellevue run over 3:26 of game time to get the Bruins back into the game as they trailed by just five with 13:59 remaining in the game.
Viterbo quickly reestablished a double figure lead and Bellevue finally cut the lead to two possessions on a free throw at the 5:43 mark by Araujo.
BU had chances late to put pressure on Viterbo but a Cunitz swatted breakaway layup from Vinny Belcaster that would have trimmed the deficit to four.
With Bellevue trailing by five, Araujo had a good look from the top of the key with 37 seconds left but his attempt drew iron and Dakota Mannel sank a pair of free throws at the other end to effectively close out the game.
Bellevue and Viterbo face off again in six days at the Bruins return home Friday, Jan. 27 to host the V-Hawks for a 7:30 p.m. tip.
