Defense and balanced scoring leads BU to NSAA Tournament Title

Box Score
Tournament Website

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Six players scored at least nine points, and BU held DSU to 26.7 percent shooting as the top-seeded Bellevue University men's basketball team raced past sixth-seeded Dickinson State University, 67-47, in the championship game of the North Star Athletic Association Tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center. 

With the win, the Bruins (15-15) earned an automatic berth into the NAIA National Tournament. The NAIA Opening Round pairings will be announced on Thursday, Mar. 7 at 6 p.m.

Dickinson State ends its season with a 17-13 overall record. 

Nigel Wilson and TJ Fritz scored 12 points apiece to lead the BU offense. Wilson added eight rebounds, two assists, and a pair of blocked shots. 

Christian Carter registered 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. Jerome Bynum, Emarr Vinson, and Makeem Loudermill chipped in with nine points each. Vinson grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. 

Cordell Stinson paced the BlueHawks with 11 points and six boards. Kose Egbule recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. 

The smothering BU defense produced 10 turnovers and DSU hit just 16-of-60 shots in the contest, including a 0-of-17 effort from beyond the arc. The last time DSU was held without a 3-pointer in a contest was on Dec. 9, 2005, against Jamestown. It marked the second time this season that Bellevue has held an opponent without a 3-pointer. 

Neither team could establish control in the early going, with the largest lead for either team being four points until a 3-point play by Vinson gave the Bruins a 22-15 lead with 7:37 left in the first half. 

After jumpers by Vinson and Carter gave BU a nine-point advantage, the BlueHawks scored the final four points of the first half to make it 30-25 at the intermission. 

Loudermill led BU in the first half with eight points on 2-of-3 shooting from the field and a 4-of-4 effort from the free-throw line. Vinson added seven points and six boards in the opening half. 

Egbule paced the BlueHawks in the first period with five points and six rebounds. 

The Bruins opened the second half on a 20-4 run to gain a 21-point advantage at 50-29 at the 11:49 mark. DSU never got closer than 16 points the remainder of the game as BU cruised to the 67-47 win and the NSAA championship. 

The conference championship is Bellevue's 37th overall, 16th tournament title, and fourth North Star crown.  

This will mark BU's 22nd appearance in the NAIA National Tournament.