Bruins outlast Lights in back-and-forth Frontier battle

Box Score
Frontier Standings

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Bellevue University rode a dominant closing stretch and career-best performances from its veterans to defeat Montana State University–Northern 93–88 on Friday night in a high-level Frontier Conference men's basketball matchup at the BU Fieldhouse.

BU (7–0, 2–0 Frontier) leaned on a trio of 20-point scorers—Ahamad Bynum, Jaden Phillips, and RJ Smith—who combined for 66 of the Bruins' 93 points to withstand MSUN's second-half surge. Bynum finished with 23 points, Phillips added 22 while attempting a season-high 17 free throws, and Smith delivered a career-high 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting with six rebounds.

The Bruins led 41–39 at halftime but found themselves in a back-and-forth duel throughout the second half, which featured nine ties and 17 lead changes. MSUN briefly seized momentum behind a strong offensive stretch from Tracen Jilot and Cinque Maxwell. Jilot completed a four-point play at the 9:27 mark to give the Lights their largest lead of the night at 67–62, and MSUN continued to trade punches through the final five minutes.

Bellevue responded with poise. Bynum buried a wing three to trim the deficit to 67–65, and Phillips repeatedly attacked the paint to draw trips to the line. After BU tied the game at 79–79 on a Bynum pull-up, the Bruins finally gained separation in the final two minutes. Bynum hit another jumper to push BU ahead 82–79 before MSUN countered with a three from Luke Holecek to draw even once more.

Phillips knocked down a key free throw with 1:32 left, Bynum scored inside on the next possession, and the Bruins sealed the outcome at the line. JJ Montgomery hit four clutch free throws in the last 11 seconds, while Phillips added two more with three seconds remaining to keep the Bruins in front for good.

Top Performers

Bellevue
• Ahamad Bynum: 23 pts, 2 stl, 5–5 FT
• Jaden Phillips: 22 pts, 4 reb, 12–17 FT
• RJ Smith: 21 pts (career high), 6 reb, 3 ast, 8–9 FG
• Akol Ngor: 10 pts, 3 reb
• Liam Thompson: 6 pts, 4 reb, steady defensive minutes

MSU–Northern
• Cinque Maxwell: 20 pts, 5 ast, 3 stl
• Tracen Jilot: 18 pts, 3 threes
• Luke Holecek: 19 pts, 5 reb
• Leon Sayers IV: 16 pts, 9–12 FT

Inside the Numbers

BU shot 50 percent from the field and 76.9 percent at the line (30–39).

MSUN shot 56.9 percent overall and 35 percent from three.

BU won the rebounding battle 34–27 and scored 17 second-chance points.

MSUN's bench outscored BU 40–17.

The game included nine ties and 17 lead changes.

Up Next

Bellevue hosts (RV) the University of Providence on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. inside the BU Fieldhouse.