BU comes up just short in 67-66 loss at VCSU

VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- A 10-1 Vikings run to begin the second half flipped the momentum as the Bellevue University men's basketball team suffered a 67-66 road loss at Valley City State University in North Star Athletic Association action on Friday evening.

Bellevue slides to 12-10 and 4-5 in NSAA play with the loss while the Vikings snap a seven-game losing streak to improve to 11-10 overall and 2-7 in league play.

Bellevue was efficient when they got shots up in the early going but managed just six shots against five turnovers in the first eight minutes. A three from JJ Montgomery broke a 6-6 tie but the Bruins' fifth turnover led to a fast break dunk for the Vikings to give the home side a 10-9 lead.

Valley City scored three more out of the timeout to cap a 7-0 run as the Vikings built a 13-9 lead at the 10:47 mark but TJ Fritz jump-started the BU offense with a three-pointer with 10:42 to go. After Jayden Patcha knocked down a pair of free throws, Bellevue scored the next nine points to take a 28-19 lead with 3:09 left in the first half.

Defensively, Bellevue held VCSU to just one field goal over the final 6:24 of the first and just three in the final 10 minutes of the half to take a 31-23 lead into halftime. TJ Fritz led all players with 10 in the first half and Willie Williams added nine as the duo combined to go 7-11 from the floor.

Bellevue out-shot VCSU 56% to 29% in the first half, making four threes to none for the Vikings. Ladarious Stanfield led the Vikings with seven first half points and Patcha added six.

A 10-1 run out of intermission seemed to signal that Valley City had found their footing offensively. Bellevue went just 1-6 at the line and turned the ball over three times in the first 2:52 before calling a timeout.

Fritz canned his third trey out of the timeout to put the Bruins back in front, 35-33 but Odier Olange answered right back with a driving lay-up at the other end and the game went back and forth over the next 10 minutes until back-to-back three-pointers from Tyrel Creger gave VCSU their largest lead since midway through the first half at 52-48 with 7:08 remaining.

Bellevue called a timeout and Williams made a running jumper out of the break to again make it a one-possession game. Four-straight from VCSU gave the Vikings their biggest lead of the game, 58-52, before Williams pulled up to drain a deep three.

With 2:03 to go, Williams stopped on the block and hit a leaner to put the Bruins back in front 64-63 before VCSU took a timeout. Another basket by Creger put Valley City in front.

A chaotic final minute in which both teams came up empty after thinking they were fouled saw the Vikings come away with the ball with 31.7 seconds left in the game. Shaheed Muhammad hit 2-2 free throws before the Bruins got the ball back trailing by three, 67-64.

Christian Carter found Wilson over the top with a pass and Wilson converted with BU putting Muhammad back on the line with 17.3 seconds left. He missed the front end of a one-and-one and Wilson came away with the board but the Bruins turned the ball over at the other end and possession went back to the Vikings.

Caden Grinde threw the ball away on the inbounds pass to give possession back to Bellevue with 4.6 seconds left. Wilson had an open look in the midrange but his shot hit every part of the rim before falling to the ground as time expired.

Williams dropped 15 of his game- and season-high 24 in the second half. He finished 10-16 from the floor and 4-5 from three. Joining him in double figures were Fritz and Wilson who dropped 15 and 14, respectively, with the latter added a team-best six rebounds.

Creger poured in 21 to lead the Vikings and Stanfield finished with 12.

The Bruins are back in action tomorrow with a 5 p.m. tip at (RV) Mayville State University.