Comeback falls short as DU edges Bruins, 67-65, in Sweet 16

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POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. -- The Bellevue University men's basketball team used a furious second-half comeback to rally from a 10-point deficit, but fell just short as Davenport University edged the Bruins, 67-65 in the second round of the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship being played at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks. 

Bellevue, ranked No. 8 nationally, ended its season with a 29-6 record. Ninth-ranked Davenport improved to 29-6 and will face the winner between No. 1 Cardinal Stritch and Southeastern (Fla.) in a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Junior Taylor Young led the Bruins with 17 points and three rebounds. Junior Alex Worthen-Harris added 16 points, four rebounds, and two blocks. Senior Given Kalipinde was the third Bruin in double figures, finishing with 11 points and a team-leading five rebounds. 

Dominez Burnett paced the Panther offense with 24 points, to go along with three rebounds and a pair of assists. JaVontae Ford was 7-of-10 from the field, finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds. DeArmond Davis chipped in 12 points for DU as the trio combined for 51 of the Panther's 67 points. 

The Bruins, who rank second nationally in 3-point field goals made (346) and third in field goal percentage (.506), were just 2-of-18 from 3-point range, shooting just 43.8 percent for the game. 

Bellevue made its first two shots of the game and led 4-2 before Davenport went on an 8-0 run to lead 10-4. Davenport never trailed the remainder of the first half and led by as many as 12 points in the opening stanza. The Bruins closed the period on a 12-2 run to cut the lead to 31-29 at the break. 

Worthen-Harris (9) and Young (8) combined for 17 points to lead BU in the first period as the Bruins shot 40 percent from the field and were 2-of-14 from behind the arc. The Panthers connected on 57 percent of their shots in the opening 20 minutes, but failed to convert on a 3-point attempt, going 0-for-6. DU finished 0-10 in 3-point attempts for the game. 

The Panthers expanded the margin back to nine points, starting the second half on an 11-4 run, to surge ahead , 42-33, at the 15-minute mark. 

DU led by 10 points at 54-44 midway through the second half before the Bruins used a 10-4 run to cut the deficit to four points at 58-54 with five minutes remaining in the contest. 

A pair of free throws from Young and a layup by Kalipinde got BU to within two points at 62-60 with 2:12 left in the game.

After a Ford jumper, Worthen-Harris converted on a 3-point play to cut the lead to 64-63 with just over a minute to go. The Panthers nailed 2-of-4 free throws in the next 30 seconds before Young connected on a short jumper to make the score 66-65 with 24 seconds remaining. 

After Davenport missed a pair of free throws with 18 seconds to go, the Bruins had a chance to go ahead, but turned the ball over in the lane and fouled Kevin Rich, who hit 1-of-2 free shots to give the Panthers a 67-65 advantage with 1.7 seconds left in the game. 

A desperation half-court jumper by Lee Ames fell short to give the Panthers the two-point victory.

Notes

• The Bruins made their 12th-straight appearance in the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Tournament.
• Bellevue is 5-6 in second round games.
• The Bruins own a 21-15 all-time record in the National Tournament.
• Bellevue is tied with College of the Ozarks for the most appearances in the second round with 11.
• Head coach Shane Paben is 9-6 in National Tournament games.
• The MCAC is 3-1 in the 2014 NAIA National Tournament.
• Bellevue defeated Davenport, 82-76, on Dec. 21 in Chicago at the St. Xavier Midwest Tournament.