DICKINSON, N.D. -- The Bellevue University men's basketball team was unable to overcome a seven-and-a-half minute scoring drought during a 22-0 scoring run as they fell 85-75 to Dickinson State University in North Star Athletic Association play on Saturday afternoon at Scott Gymnasium.
The loss drops Bellevue to 10-8 on the year and 2-3 in NSAA play. Dickinson State remains perfect in NSAA play, improving to 5-0 while upping their overall mark to 10-7 with their fourth-straight victory.
Emarr Vinson and Raphael Allen gave the Bruins a quick 5-0 lead with a layup and three-pointer from the wing. Dickinson tied the game on a corner three from Weston Zacher and pulled ahead, 11-10, with a pair of free throws from Kose Egbule. Gus Wright drained a three before a pair of free throws from Jaiden Wright for a four-point Blue Hawk lead at the 10:21 mark.
Back-to-back baskets from Raphael Allen and RJ Smith tied the game at 18-all before Aidan Fishell drilled a three-pointer to put Dickinson State ahead for good. Egbule followed with a put-back lay-in, and Nigel Wilson answered with a layup for the Bruins before DSU ran off a game-defining 22 straight points. JJ Montgomery finally put an end to the Blue Hawks' onslaught with a banked-in three-pointer in the waning seconds of the first half as BU trailed 45-23 at halftime.
Zacher led all players with eight at the break, while John Evans and Cordel Stinson each tossed in seven for DSU, who saw nine players work their way into the scoring column in the opening 20 minutes. DSU shot 56% in the first half, going 6-of-13 from three and 9-of-10 from the line.
Caleb Chiang and Allen had five points apiece for the Bruins in the first half as BU shot 41% from the floor and turned the ball over 10 times.
Dickinson grew their lead to as many as 31 points in the second half, 66-35 at the 11:58 mark, following a 10-0 scoring run.
An 18-0 Bruin run, part of a larger 33-11 run spanning 5:17, saw the Bruins cut the deficit down to 9 points as Matt Mathok converted the first of two free throws at the 1:24 mark.
Evans put an end to Bellevue's comeback bid at the other end when he drained a triple at the top of the key to put the Blue Hawks up 12 with under a minute to play.
Smith led three Bruins in double figures with 14 points and a game-high seven rebounds. Montgomery added 13, and TJ Fritz chipped in 10.
Evans led four Blue Hawks in double figures with 17 points to lead four players in double figures. Jaiden Wright added 14, Stinson went for 12 apiece, and Egbule finished with 10.
Bellevue returns home on Friday, Jan. 17, when they host Dakota State University for a 7:30 p.m. tip from the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
