Bruins come up short in NSAA-opener

MADISON, S.D. -- Dakota State used a 13-2 run early in the second half to turn around a halftime-deficit as the Trojans edged the Bellevue University men's basketball team 63-60 in the North Star Athletic Association-opener for both teams on Saturday evening at the DSU Fieldhouse.

Bellevue slips to 6-7 overall and opens conference play at 0-1. Dakota State snapped a three-game losing streak to begin the season as the Trojans improve to 1-3 and 1-0 in league play.

The first half was a defense-oriented affair with BU taking a 27-26 lead into halftime.

Bellevue grabbed a quick, early lead with Lewis Hayes hitting a free throw and Paulo Araujo draining a three-pointer in the opening moments but the Bruins never led by more than four.

Trailing 15-12, Dakota State's Gare Ewefada tossed up a deep, contested three at the shot clock buzzer that banked into the net to tie the game. That keyed a 9-2 run which saw the Trojans take a 21-17 lead on a pair of free throws from Josh McGreal.

The Bruins hung around, responding with a 6-2 spurt of their own with paint buckets from Araujo, Jaylen Wiltz, and Jemeil King on consecutive possessions to tie the game at 23-all.

Gavin Schipper hit a step-back three with 1:45 to play in the half to give DSU a 26-23 lead but a pair of layups from King capped the first half scoring and BU took a one-point lead into the locker room.

Bellevue struck first out of the break with a post move from Hayes to push their lead to 29-26 but the Trojans responded with nine-straight points, part of a larger 13-2 run, to go ahead 39-31 on a transition layup from Jordan Lynn at the 14:07 mark.

After the Bruins had cut the lead to four on a basket by Michael Wright, DSU pushed ahead to their largest lead of the game – nine points – and a three-pointer by Lynn.

Trailing 50-41 with under nine minutes to play, the Bruins stretched out a 12-4 run, capped off by a trey from Wiltz that made it a one-possession game with 2:36 to play. It snapped a run of 12-straight missed from deep by BU shooters who were just 3-for-18 beyond the arc in the game.

After Lynn converted an and-one with 1:16 to play, Keshawn Bruner responded with a three-pointer to keep Bellevue within a point.

Ronnie Latting responded with a basket in the post and Hayes answered at the other end.

Ewefada hit on a pair of free throws with 11.9 seconds left to put the Trojans back up by three points, 63-60. Bellevue had two looks from deep in the waning seconds but Vinny Belcaster's attempt from NBA-range missed and King's desperation heave from the corner off the offensive rebound only found iron as DSU held on for the win.

Latting finished with a game-high 17 points and added seven rebounds to lead the Trojans. Lynn notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. McGreal was the third DSU player in double figures with 13 points.

King led three Bruins in double figures with 14 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists. Bruner chipped in 11 with five boards and a game-best four steals and Wiltz tossed in 10 points. Hayes scored eight points and hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds.

Bellevue is slated to travel to Orange City, Iowa on Saturday, Dec. 19 for a 6 p.m. non-conference tilt at Northwestern College.