January 23, 2026
MADISON, S.D. – Bellevue (Neb.) used a strong second half and balanced scoring attack to pull away for a 71–54 victory over Dakota State (S.D.) in the Frontier Conference men's basketball action Friday night at the DSU Fieldhouse. After holding a four-point halftime lead, the Bruins outscored the Trojans 38-25 in the final twenty minutes after shooting 56 percent (14-of-25 field goals) and holding DSU to 38.1 percent (8-of-21 field goals).
Dakota State fell to 14-5 overall record and 9-5 record in the league. Bellevue, who completed the season series sweep of the Trojans, improved to 17-3 overall record and maintained their share of the Frontier Conference lead with (RV) Rocky Mountain (Mont.) with 12-2 record each.
How it happened
Bellevue and Dakota State battled back and forth in the early going of the first half. The Bruins jumped to a four-point lead before the Trojans earned their first lead of the game. Trailing 13-9, DSU went on an 8-2 scoring run to overtake a 17-15 lead after
Nathan Ojukwu's 3-pointer (assisted by
Brayden Pankonen) with 9:48 on the clock in the first half.
DSU's lead was short-lived as BU went on a 7-0 scoring run, erasing a 20-19 deficit into a 26-20 lead after RJ Smith's layup with 4:42 remaining in the first half.
Dakota State kept pace early and trailed just 33–29 at the break after a competitive first half that featured four lead changes and one tie.
Bellevue seized momentum early in the second half, extending their scoring run with a 9-0 run to gain their first double digit lead of the game at 39-29 after a 3-pointer by JJ Montgomery with 19:09 left.
The visitors pushed the lead to as many as 20 points late, securing the victory for the Bruins.
Dakota State Individual Leaders
Dakota State shot 38.8 percent from the floor (19-of-49 field goals), 6-of-16 from the 3-point line and hit 10-of-19 free-throws. The Trojans outscored the Bruins 29-18 in bench points.
Bellevue Individual Leaders
- Jaden Phillips: 22 points (8-of-12 field goals, 3-of-4 3-pointers, 3-of-6 free-throws), 4 rebounds
- RJ Smith, Ahamad Bynum, Jermaine Haliburton: 12 points each
- Liam Thompson: 5 assists, 3 steals
Bellevue shot 50.0 percent overall (27-of-54 field goals) and 42.1 percent from three-point range (8-of-19).
Bellevue held advantages in points in the paint (34-24) and points off turnovers (19-6).
Team Statistics
| Category |
Bellevue |
Dakota State |
| FG |
27-54 (50%) |
19-49 (38.8%) |
| 3PT |
8-19 (42.1%) |
6-16 (37.5%) |
| FT |
9-15 (60%) |
10-19 (52.6%) |
| Rebounds |
31 |
33 |
| Turnovers |
9 |
13 |
| Points in Paint |
34 |
24 |
| Bench Points |
18 |
29 |
Up Next
Dakota State heads to North Dakota for a pair of Frontier Conference next weekend, making their first stop at W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse versus Valley City State (N.D.) next Friday. DSU then travels to Mayville State (N.D.) next Saturday at Lewy Lee Fieldhouse in Mayville, N.D.
The game is set for 7 p.m. on both nights.
