February 18, 2022

BELLEVUE, Neb. – Dakota State (S.D.) was unable to hold on to their eight-point lead in the second half in the North Start Athletic Association men's basketball regular-season finale Friday evening at Gordon Lozier Center, dropping a 68-67 heartbreaker to traveling partner Bellevue (Neb.).  The victory also gave the Bruins its share of the regular-season title with Viterbo (Wis.), who routed Waldorf (Iowa) 97-66 on the same night. 

Dakota State fell to 12-17 overall record and 7-7 record in the league.  Bellevue improved to 17-12 overall record and 9-5 record in the North Star.  The Bruins completed the NSAA season series sweep of the Trojans.

DSU will be the No. 5 seed for the upcoming North Star Athletic Association Men's Basketball Postseason tournament, which is set to start on Wednesday evening.  The Trojans will play on the road as they await to find out who will be their opponent – Mayville State (N.D.), Presentation (S.D.), or Valley City State (N.D.).

Bellevue will be the No. 2 seed for the conference postseason tournament will host the opening round on Wednesday evening.  The opponent is yet to be determined based on Saturday's Presentation-Mayville State contest, hosting either Dickinson State (N.D.) or Presentation.

Bellevue (Neb.) 68, Dakota State (S.D.) 67 – FINAL

• Bellevue opened the game with a 5-0 lead in the first two minutes, twenty-seven seconds of the game.  Martis Johnson hit a 3-pointer, followed by Isaiah Bates' lay-up to give the Bruins a five-point lead.
• Taylor Pomeroy drained a 3-pointer to extend BU's lead to 14-7 with 13:29 to go in the first half.
• Dakota State answered with a 12-4 scoring run to gain their first lead of the game at 19-18 with 10:10 on the clock after Ronnie Latting's 3-point play.
• After BU earned a 20-19 lead, the Trojans went on an 8-0 scoring run to grab a 27-20 lead caped by Jordan Lynn's layup with less than eight minutes to go before halftime.
• Paulo Araujo made a 3-pointer with less than one minute left as Bellevue trimmed Dakota State's lead to 37-34.
• Dakota State shot a blazing 59.3 percent from the field in the first twenty minutes of the game (16-of-27 field goals).  Bellevue was 14-of-28 from the field (50 percent).
• Lamarr Wood scored the first five points of the second half as the Trojans stretched its lead to 41-34 with 18:36 remaining.
• Bates nailed down a pair of free-throws as the Bruins knotted the game at 43-43 with 14:36 on the clock.  Jerome Bynum added a free-throw as BU regained their lead at 44-43 with 13:25 left.
• Dakota State sparked a 12-3 scoring run to record the biggest lead of the game at 55-47 with 9:13 to go after Lynn's layup.
• The Bruins answered with an 8-0 scoring run as they rallied back to tie the game at 55-55 with 6:26 remaining.
• Both teams traded lead or tied the game for the next four minutes.  Berto Gittens made a basket with 2:33 remaining to give DSU a 62-61 lead.
• Bellevue went on to score the next six points from Vinny Belcaster to grab a 67-62 lead with less than thirty seconds to go.
• Chris Morales hit a 3-pointer as the Trojans cut the Bruins' lead to 67-65 with less than 20 seconds to go.
• Araujo added a free-throw on the next possession as BU extended their lead to 68-65 with 16 seconds left.
• Wood made a dunk on the ensuing possession as DSU trailed 68-67 with less than five seconds remaining.
• The Trojans committed a foul, sending Araujo to the free-throw line.  Araujo missed both free-throws and was rebounded by Gittens.  DSU was unable to convert the scoring chance in the final seconds as BU secured the win.
• Bellevue outscored Dakota State 34-30 in the final twenty minutes.  DSU was 13-of-29 from the field in the second half (44.8 percent) compared to BU 12-of-24 field goals.  The Bruins were 8-of-18 from the free-throw line while the Trojans were 1-of-3 at the free-throw line.
• Gittens poured in a season-high 25 points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench for Dakota State.  He was 11-of-13 from the field.  Lynn added 18 points and four rebounds.  He had three assists.
• Latting scored nine points and earned eight rebounds for the Trojans.  He had two blocked shots.  Wood tallied eight points and five rebounds.  Maxwell Nielson dished out a game-high six assists.
• Belcaster led the Bruins with 22 points on his 9-of-17 field goals and 4-of-9 free-throws.  Araujo added 17 points (6-of-7 field goals, 3-of-3 3-pointers, 2-of-5 free-throws).  Bates tallied 10 points.  Pomeroy scored eight points off the bench.
• DSU shot 51.8 percent overall from the field (29-of-56 field goals) and 5-of-16 3-pointers.  BU was 50 percent from the field (26-of-52 field goals) and 6-of-18 3-pointers.
• The Bruins went to the free-throw line 23 times, making 10 free-throws (43.5 percent).  The Trojans were 4-of-7 free-throws (57.1 percent).
• Dakota State won the rebounding battle, outrebounding Bellevue 39-24.
• The Trojans outscored the Bruins 28-10 in bench points.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director