BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University men's basketball team used two late overtime buckets by Christian Carter to earn a hard-fought 74-72 overtime victory over Dickinson State University Friday night in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
The win snapped DSU's six-game win streak and also marked their first conference loss of the season as the Blue Hawks fell to 12-8 overall and 7-1 in the NSAA.
Bellevue improved to 12-8 on the season and 4-3 in league play.
Carter and TJ Fritz led a balanced Bruin offense with 13 points apiece. Carter was 5-of-11 from the field and added five rebounds and a pair of assists.
Raphael Allen finished with 11 points and nine rebounds. Nigel Wilson registered 11 points, seven boards, and three blocks. Emarr Vinson was the fifth Bruin in double figures, collecting 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field.
Trey Stevens and Aidan Fishell paced the Blue Hawks with 14 points apiece. Cordel Stinson led all players with 12 rebounds while adding nine points.
The first half featured six ties and seven lead changes, and neither team led by more than four points as BU took a 30-26 lead heading into the intermission.
Allen led the Bruins in the first half with nine points on 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc. He also added six rebounds.
Wilson scored seven first-half points and added two blocks.
Stevens and Fishell paced the Blue Hawks in the opening half with five points apiece.
DSU used a 10-0 run capped by a 10-foot jumper from Fishell to take a 52-44 lead with 9:42 left in the contest.
The Bruins responded with a 6-0 surge sparked by back-to-back jumpers from Matt Mathok to make it a two-point game at 52-50 at the 7:35 mark.
After the Blue Hawks built a seven-point separation following a 5-0 run, the Bruins battled back to within two points twice and trailed by three at 63-60 following a free throw by Carter at the 1:26 mark.
A 3-pointer by Fritz tied the game at 63-all with 15 seconds remaining in regulation. DSU could not get a shot off, forcing the overtime period.
Neither team led by more than three points in the extra period, and back-to-back driving layups by Carter gave the Bruins the 74-72 lead with seven seconds left in OT. A 3-pointer by Gus Wright at the buzzer was off the mark as BU earned the two-point overtime victory.
Bellevue will host the University of Jamestown on Saturday (Jan. 25) at 5 p.m. in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
