WATERTOWN, S.D. -- After falling behind by 15 early in the second quarter the second-seeded Bellevue University women's basketball team stormed back to defeat top-seeded Mayville State University, 63-59, on Sunday afternoon in the North Star Athletic Association Championship Game at the Watertown Civic Arena.
Bellevue (23-9) secures both their first NAIA National Tournament bid and NSAA Tournament Championship.
Mayville State falls to 19-8 on the year and will have to wait and see if their resume is strong enough to have their name called for one of the eight at-large bids.
Laura Jurek was named the NSAA Tournament Most Valuable Player after averaging 10.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in the NSAA Final Four.
The game pitted regular-season co-champions against one another as both teams posted 11-3 marks in league play. BU avenged some early season frustration with the victory after the Comets swept the regular-season series.
Mayville State opened the game strong, hitting on four of their five three-point attempts and forced seven first quarter BU turnovers, as they took a 25-15 lead after 10 minutes of play. With the score tied at 13-all, the Comets closed the period on a 12-2 spurt, part of a larger 17-2 run.
The larger run was broken up by a bucket from Elexis Martinez with 9:01 to play in the second quarter as Bellevue out-scored Mayville State 15-5 to reduce the deficit to just five, 35-30, at halftime. Faith Ross hit a three with six seconds on the clock to reduce it to a two-possession game.
Taylor Shamp made a bucket and drew a foul before Bellevue was whistled for a technical foul, leading to a four-point possession for the Comets as MSU took a 41-34 lead and grabbed momentum.
After a bucket Joelle put the comets up 43-35 Bellevue ran off a 13-5 run to tie the game on a layup by Shanae Collins. It was the first time BU had been tied since the 3:50 mark of the first quarter.
Morgan Cuffe gave the Bruins their first lead since the opening period when she hit the second of her two free throw attempts.
The game swung back and forth with neither side able to establish a multiple possession lead until a pair of Jamie Winkler free throws with 1:02 remaining.
That was quickly answered when Claire Blascziek nailed a trey at the other end to pull the Comets within two, 61-59.
Following a pair of turnovers by each team, Martinez iced the game for Bellevue by hitting a pair of free throws with just 5.6 seconds left and Ertl's wild shot to prolong the game was corralled by Martinez as the clock hit zero.
Bellevue hit their final nine free throw attempts of the game after hitting on just 10 of their 17.
Kylee Heurung turned in a strong performance for the Comets finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds. She was joined in double-figures by Nicole Bunting and Claire Blascziek with 11 and 10, respectively.
Jurek led the Bruins with 13 points and 10 rebounds for her first collegiate double-double. Cuffe scored 11 points and Winkler dropped in 10.
Bellevue frustrated Ertl, the NSAA Player of the Year, as the senior point guard from Mayville managed just seven points on 2-of-15 shooting and turned the ball over six times.
Up Next:
Bellevue will find out their opponent for the first round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament during Wednesday's NAIA Selection Show which is scheduled to air at 6 p.m.
