Bruins run out of gas in double OT loss to MNU

OLATHE, Kan. -- The Bellevue University men's basketball team turned in another strong defensive performance but came up just short, falling 67-58 in double overtime to MidAmerica Nazarene University in the championship game of the Jeff Uphaus Memorial Tournament.

Trey Brown (22), Anthony Brown (18), and Cameron Brady (15) combined for 55 points to lead MNU (2-0) to the win. Brady grabbed a game-high 16 boards, Trey Brown dished out five assists, and Anthony Brown totaled nine rebounds.

Eric Pierce led a balanced Bruin attack with 10 points. He added five rebounds and four assists before fouling out in overtime. Seven players scored at least seven points for BU, including Justin Motley who turned in a huge game, scoring nine points, blocking four shots, and hauling a career-high 16 rebounds.

The host side jumped out to an 8-2 lead just over four minutes into the game with Trey Brown accounting for all the MNU scoring.

After a bucket from Anthony Brown at the 11:59 mark, Bellevue clamped down defensively to fuel a 16-2 run over the next 8:24. Taylor Pomeroy keyed the run with a bucket and Vaj Rice capped off the run with a transition lay-in.

MNU scored the final four points of a very defense-oriented half as Bellevue took a 23-18 lead to the locker room. The Bruins limited MNU to just 19.4 percent shooting overall in the first half while forcing the Pioneers into just a 2-for-12 effort (16.7%) from three.

Trey Brown led all players with 10 points on the break and just three other Pioneers found their way into the scoring column. Seven players scored for BU, led by Eric Pierce's six points.

Despite scoring just three first half point, Motley played a huge role in the half. He grabbed eight rebounds, including four offensive boards, and blocked four shots.

MNU scored the first 5 points of the second half to push their run to 9-0, tying the game, before Martis Johnson finally made a shot for BU to stop some of the Pioneer momentum.

An old-fashioned three-point play from Cameron Brady with 7:32 to play gave the Pioneers their first lead of the second half at 40-38. MNU led by as many as six when Brady scored on a backdoor cut with just over five minutes remaining.

Bellevue answered with four-straight points from Rice to pull within two at 44-42 and, after three points over two possessions from the Pioneers, Bellevue tied the game after Araujo sidestepped for a three and Motley converted a put-back lay-up. That made it 47-all with 1:33 to play.

Anthony Brown hit a floater for MNU with 1:03 to play to put the home side back in front before Vinny Belcaster answered with a driving layup on the ensuing possession. A miss by Anthony Brown with three seconds left ensured overtime.

In the extra possession, Darnell Miller hit an 18-footer for the first points. After an empty Bruin possession, Anthony Brown put the Pioneers up by four but Johnson responded with a baby hook to make it 53-51.

A turnover gave BU a chance to take the lead as Pomeroy hit a corner trey following a kick out by Motley to put Bellevue ahead 54-53. Miller hit the second free throw of a double bonus to tie things up again with 1:08 left in the extra period. Miller missed a corner three and Belcaster's coast-to-coast layup would not fall to force a second overtime.

Motley scored a reverse layup to open the second overtime but nine-straight points by MNU, including a long-range three from Trey Brown at the shot clock buzzer, gave the Pioneers a 63-56 lead with 1:29 remaining.

Neither team shot well on the night, notably the second game of a back-to-back for both sides, with BU shooting 34.2 percent and MNU shooting 34.3 percent from the floor. The teams combined to go 7-42 beyond the arc while the Pioneers used a 16-27 advantage at the charity stripe to help key the win. Bellevue hit five of their nine free throw attempts.

Bellevue (1-2) hosts the Chick-fil-A Classic at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center next weekend for the first Bruin home games of the year. The Bruins welcome Cardinal Stritch (0-0) on Friday, Nov. 5 for a 7 p.m. tip-off before facing off with Peru State (1-0) on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.