BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Nigel Wilson and TJ Fritz scored 16 points each to lead the Bellevue University men's basketball team to a key 71-64 victory over visiting Mayville State University Saturday night in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The Bruins improved to 9-13 on the season and 4-2 in the NSAA with the victory. MSU dropped to 15-6 overall and 3-3 in league play.
Wilson added a game-high eight rebounds and three blocked shots in the win.
Darren Jones paced the Comets with 26 points and six rebounds. Jamison Kramer and John White Jr. chipped in with 10 points apiece.
The Comets raced out to a 9-2 lead in the opening four minutes of the contest, capped by back-to-back buckets by Kramer. Sparked by five-straight points from Wilson, the Bruins answered with a 7-0 run to tie the contest at 9-all.
Five-straight points by Jones capped a 13-2 MSU run, giving the Comets a 26-15 lead with 6:05 remaining in the first half.
Sparked by eight-straight points from Jaden Phillips, the Bruins countered with a 13-0 spurt to take a 28-26 lead with 1:30 remaining in the first half. After Raydden Grobe nailed a pair of free throws to give the Bruins a one-point advantage, Juan Carlos Canahuate drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Comets a 32-30 halftime advantage.
Wilson led the Bruins in the first half with nine points and five rebounds. Phillips added eight points, including a 2-of-2 effort from beyond the arc.
Jones paced the Comets with nine first-half points and four boards.
The second half featured three ties and three lead changes, and neither team led by more than four points until a 3-pointer by Fritz and a pair of free throws by Wilson gave the Bruins an eight-point advantage at 63-55 with 2:35 left in the contest.
The Comets hit four straight free throws to pull to within five at 66-61 at the 1:04 mark. A 3-0 MSU run sliced the margin to four points at 68-64 with 28 ticks on the clock.
The Bruins hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final 19 seconds to seal the 71-64 victory.
Bellevue will travel to Forest City, Iowa, on Friday, Feb. 2, for a 7:30 p.m. NSAA battle at Waldorf University.
