Bruins stage big comeback before falling to Blue Hawks

Box Score
NSAA Standings

DICKINSON, N.D. -- Ajdin Toskic hit the game-winning layup and free throw with 2.1 seconds left as the Bellevue University men's basketball team fell to Dickinson State 67-65 in North Star Athletic Association action on Saturday evening at Scott Gymnasium.

BU drops to 16-13 (8-5 NSAA) as they see their streak of 11-straight regular-season conference championships come to an end. Dickinson State, playing without their leading scorer Bryce Knox, improves to 9-15 overall and 6-7 in NSAA play.

Michael Wright scored 16 points and added nine rebounds to lead Bellevue while Eric Pierce turned in a strong all-around game with 12 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Vaj Rice scored nine off the bench while Jemeil King and Paulo Araujo each chipped in eight points.

The first half feature sizable 22-5 runs by both teams. Dickinson State raced out to a 17-point lead ahead of the mid-way mark of the first half before the Bruins responded with a huge run of their own.

The Bruins held their hosts without a point for nearly five minutes as they ran off nine-straight points thanks to treys from Araujo and King, a free throw from Jaylen Wiltz, and a fast-break layup by King to cut the deficit to eight points.

A Jalon Tinnin reverse lay-up interrupted the streak but Bellevue scored 13 of the next 16 points to tie the game at 27-all thanks to a pair of free throws from Eric Pierce.

Tinnin answered with a layup at the other end to give the Blue Hawks a 29-27 edge headed into the halftime break.

Trey Hladky paced all players with 11 at the break for Dickinson with Tinnin adding seven and John Evans dropping in six.

King led Bellevue with eight at the intermission with Rice adding five in support for the Bruins who shot just 31% from the floor as a team in the opening 20 minutes to Dickinson's 44%.

After trading baskets to open the second half, Wiltz drained an elbow three to give the Bruins their first lead of the game, 34-31, with 16:26 remaining.

Bellevue trailed 37-36 after Raiden Forrest hit one of two free throws but answered back by scoring seven-straight points. A Justin Motley dunk started the run which saw Wright covert a runner in the paint and Paulo Araujo drain a corner trey to go ahead 43-37.

Bellevue took their largest lead of the game, 11 points at 55-44, when Wright hit Rice with a no-look pass for a lay-in.

After a corner three from Wright at the shot clock buzzer gave Bellevue a 61-51 lead, Dickinson used a 6-0 run to pull to within four points with 3:07 to play in the game.

Bellevue called a timeout but a turnover on their possession allowed Dickinson to make it a one-possession game on a reverse layup from Hladky with 1:59 to go.

With the shot clock winding down Toskic hit a corner three to give Dickinson a 64-63 lead. Pierce was fouled going in for a dunk on the next BU possession and hit both free throws to put BU back ahead by one with 9.2 seconds to play.

The Bruin lead would be short-lived as Toskic drove the lane and converted an and-one with 2.1 seconds remaining to give the Blue Hawks the win as Bellevue was unable to get off a shot ahead of the final whistle.

Toskic and Hladky scored 17 apiece to lead the Blue Hawks and were joined in double figures by Evans with 14.

Bellevue hosts Dakota State University (9-13/7-6 NSAA) on Thursday, Feb. 18 in the regular-season finale for both sides. Senior Day ceremonies will precede the 7:30 p.m. tip-off.