Balanced Bruins earn 69-60 win over Comets

Box Score
NSAA Standings

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Six Bruins scored at least eight points at the Bellevue University men's basketball team earned a 69-60 victory over visiting Mayville State University Saturday night in North Star Athletic Association action at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

With the win, the Bruins improved to 12-8 on the season and 4-1 in the NSAA. MSU fell to 8-7 overall and 1-4 in league play. 

Eric Pierce, Isaiah Bates, and Paulo Araujo scored 11 points apiece to lead the BU offense. Vinny Belcaster added 10 points and four assists. Martis Johnson finished with nine points and four assists. Justin Motley pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds to go along with eight points and seven blocks. 

Sam Grayson recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Grayson, who did not get a shot off in the second half, was the lone Comet in double figures.  

After Grayson opened the game with a pair of buckets to give MSU a 4-0 lead, forcing an early BU timeout, the Bruins responded with a 12-0 run sparked by seven points from Araujo.  

The Comets used a 15-7 run capped by a dunk from Grayson to tie the contest at 19 apiece midway through the first half. 

Six-straight points highlighted by an alley-oop dunk from Pierce gave the Bruins a 25-19 lead with 7:33 left in the first. 

Grayson scored four points in a 9-2 run as MSU took a 28-27 lead at the 3:47 mark.  BU countered with a 7-0 run including a deep 3-pointer by Taylor Pomeroy as the Bruins pushed ahead, 34-28, with one minute remaining before the intermission. 

The two teams traded baskets in the final minute as BU took a 36-30 lead into the break.  

Araujo led the Bruins in the opening half with nine points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field. 

Grayson drained all eight of his shots in the first half, pacing the Comet offense with 16 points to go along with six rebounds. 

Pierce's 3-pointer gave BU a double-digit lead at 41-30 as BU opened the second half on a 5-0 run. 

The margin remained at 11 points until a 5-0 Bruin surge gave BU a 58-42 edge midway through the second half. 

The Comets countered with five-straight points of their own to make it 58-47 with 8:21 remaining in the game.  

A driving jumper in the lane by Jamison Kramer drew MSU to within 10 points at 61-51 at the 3:46 mark. 

Neither team scored again until a layup by Colby Dillenbeck made it 61-53 with 1:22 left in the contest. 

Two free throws by Belcaster followed by a 3-pointer from John Ketchel made it a seven-point contest at 63-56 with 55 seconds remaining. 

The Bruins nailed six free throws in the final 52 seconds to secure the 69-60 victory. 

Bellevue will host Viterbo University at 7:30 p.m. next Friday, Jan. 21, in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.