Vikings pull away late for 70-60 win over BU

Box Score
NSAA Standings

VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- The Valley City State University men's basketball team scored the final nine points of the contest to pull away for a 70-60 win over Bellevue University in North Star Athletic Association action Friday night at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse. 

The loss dropped the Bruins to 15-11 on the season and 7-5 in the NSAA. VCSU improved to 14-12 overall and 7-5 in league play. 

Justin Motley led the Bruins with 13 points, five rebounds, and three blocks. Martis Johnson added 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Paulo Araujo was the third Bruin in double figures, finishing with 10 points, along with four boards. 

Daveon Munson led all players with 21 points, going 7-of-7 from the field while adding six rebounds and two steals. Cayden Rickard added 15 points and Tate Hebrink finished with 12 for the Vikings.  

VCSU erased an early five-point deficit, going on a 10-0 run capped by consecutive 3-pointers by Duoth Gach and Hebrink to take a 16-11 lead with 11:55 left in the first. 

The Bruins countered with seven-straight points to regain the lead at 19-18 at the nine-minute mark. 

VCSU used an 11-5 run to gain a 29-24 advantage with 3:12 left before intermission. 

After a 3-pointer by Munson gave the Vikings their largest lead of the first half at seven points, Vinny Belcaster responded with a deep triple right before the buzzer to make it 35-31 at the break. 

Motley led the Bruins in the first half with 10 points, three rebounds, and two blocked shots. Belcaster added six points on 2-of-3 shooting from behind the arc. 

Munson paced the Vikings in the opening half with 13 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field. 

BU tied the contest at 40-all on a 3-pointer from about five feet beyond the arc by Araujo at the 17:21 mark. 

The Vikings pushed the margin to nine points following consecutive 3-pointers by Munson and Rickard to make it 54-45 with just under 13 minutes left in the contest.  

The Bruins responded with a 3-point play by Motley and a layup by Keenami Maggard to pull to within four points (54-50) with 11:45 remaining. 

The two teams went cold over the next five minutes, managing just one field goal apiece as VCSU gained a 57-52 advantage with just under seven minutes to play. 

After a pair of free throws by Araujo sliced the lead to one point at 61-60 at the three-minute mark, the Vikings scored the final nine points to earn the 70-60 victory. VCSU drained six-straight free throws in the final two minutes of the contest.  

The Bruins will head to Dickinson, N.D. tomorrow (Feb. 11) for a 6 p.m. (central time) contest at Dickinson State University.