Big second half lifts Red Raiders over BU, 71-66

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BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Northwestern College men's basketball team opened the second half with a 16-2 run to overcome a sluggish first half, as the Red Raiders earned a 71-66 victory over Bellevue University Friday night in the Fairfield Inn by Marriott Classic being played in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.  

The loss dropped the Bruins to 9-6 on the season. NWC improved to 10-4 overall with the victory. 

Vinny Belcaster led the Bruins with 20 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Taylor Pomeroy finished with 11 points and four rebounds.

Paulo Araujo added 10 points and a pair of boards in the loss. 

Craig Sterk (24) and Matt Onken (21) combined for 45 points to pace the NWC offense. Kaleb Booth added 12 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Booth was 3-for-3 from behind the arc.  

A 3-point play by Justin Motley and a 3-pointer by Pomeroy propelled a 7-0 BU run as the Bruins grabbed an early 16-10 lead with 12:39 left in the first half. 

Consecutive 3-pointers by Christian Carter and Araujo pushed the margin to 10 points at 22-12 midway through the opening half. 

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Booth sparked a 9-2 NWC run, drawing the Red Raiders to within three points at 24-21 with 5:21 left in the first period. 

The Bruins responded with consecutive 3-pointers by Belcaster in a 7-0 spurt to expand the margin back to double digits at 31-21 at the 3:48 mark. 

BU maintained a 10-point edge until a pair of free throws by Onken made it 39-31 in favor of the Bruins at the intermission. 

Belcaster led the Bruins in the opening half with 14 points and three rebounds. Araujo added eight points on 2-of-3 shooting from long range. 

Onken paced the Red Raiders with 13 first-half points.  

The Bruins went on a five-minute scoring drought as the Red Raiders used a 7-0 run to pull to within one point at 41-40 with 14:48 left in the game. 

A 9-0 NWC run gave the Red Raiders a 49-43 advantage at the 9:49 mark following consecutive jumpers by Sterk sandwiched in between buckets by Keyton Moser and a free throw by Booth. 

Trailing 52-44 after not connecting on a field goal for over five minutes, the Bruins recovered by hitting 3-pointers by Martis Johnson and Carter during an 8-2 run to pull BU to within two points at 54-52 with 4:28 remaining in the game. 

Consecutive buckets by Onken fueled a 7-0 NWC run as the Red Raiders pushed the margin to nine points at 63-54 with 1:05 left in the contest. 

The Bruins got as close as four points following 3-pointers by Belcaster and Pomeroy, but the Red Raiders drained six free throws in the final 32 seconds to seal the 71-66 victory.  

The Bruins will return to conference action next Friday, Jan. 6, when they host Dickinson State at 7:30 p.m. in the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.