BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University men's basketball team battled from behind the entire game and came up just short in dropping a North Star Athletic Association matchup with Mayville State University, 76-72, Saturday at Senior Night in the Bellevue University Fieldhouse.
The Bruins suffered their sixth-straight loss, falling to 12-14 on the season and 4-9 in the NSAA. MSU improved to 17-10 overall and 8-6 in league play.
Emarr Vinson led the Bruins with 17 points on 6-of-6 shooting while adding nine rebounds and six assists. Christian Carter added 14 points and two rebounds. TJ Fritz finished with 12 points and three boards. Liam Thompson was the fourth Bruin in double figures, collecting 10 points along with eight rebounds.
JJ White led all players with 28 points, going 10-of-13 from the field. Steven Garza recorded 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists. London Williams chipped in with 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
Five-straight points from Williams and another seven from White keyed a 16-4 MSU run to start the contest. The Bruins responded with a pair of 3-pointers from Fritz to pull to within eight at 18-10 with 11:55 left in the first half.
After a 3-pointer by Raphael Allen drew the Bruins to within single digits, the Comets scored seven straight to go ahead 32-16 at the 6:33 mark. BU scored seven straight, capped by a 3-point play from Vinson to make it a nine-point contest at 32-23 with 4:46 left in the half. After trading baskets over the next four minutes, a layup by Garza just before the buzzer made it 41-29 at the break.
Fritz and Thompson led the Bruins in the first half with eight points apiece.
White paced the Comets in the opening period with 12 points and two assists.
A 3-pointer by Carter and a pair of 3-point plays by Nigel Wilson and Vinson drew the Bruins to within five at 43-38 with 17:10 left in the contest. After a bucket by Vinson made it a four-point game at 49-45, the Comets went on a 10-2 run to pull ahead by 12 (59-47) at the 11:25 mark.
After a 13-3 BU surge pulled the Bruins to within two points (62-60) with 5:50 remaining, MSU went on a 10-4 run to make it an eight-point contest (72-64) at the 1:23 mark. The Bruins battled back, and a pair of free throws by Carter drew BU to within four (72-68) with 30 ticks left on the clock. The Comets hit 4-of-6 free throws in the final 24 seconds to seal the 76-72 victory.
The Bruins head to Dickinson, N.D., next Friday, Feb. 21, for an 8:30 p.m. (CT) contest with Dickinson State University.
