Bynum’s 22, late free throws push BU past No. 15 Montana Tech

Box Score
Frontier Standings

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Bellevue University used a strong defensive effort, timely free-throw shooting, and a balanced scoring attack to secure a 67-62 Frontier Conference men's basketball victory over No. 15 Montana Tech University on Saturday evening at the BU Fieldhouse.

With the win, Bellevue improves to 16-3 overall and 11-2 in Frontier Conference play. Montana Tech falls to 15-4 on the season and 9-4 in league action.

Ahamad Bynum led the Bruins with 22 points, going 6-of-18 from the field, 2-of-9 on 3-pointers, and 8-of-11 at the line while adding three assists. The performance marked his 11th game this season with at least 20 points. JJ Montgomery added 10 points, four assists, and two 3-pointers, and RJ Smith finished with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting and contributed on the interior. Liam Thompson chipped in seven points and went 3-of-4 at the stripe, while Jermaine Haliburton added five points, two free throws, and one 3-pointer off the bench.

Montana Tech was paced by Hayden Diekhans, who totaled 18 points and eight rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting, including a 6-of-11 effort at the line. Brayden Koch and Asher Williams each scored 10 points, with Koch going 5-of-7 from the floor and Williams adding a perfect 2-of-2 performance at the stripe. Ethan Venema provided eight points and two 3-pointers off the bench.

How It Happened

Montana Tech struck first as Koch and Rhett Reynolds combined to give the Orediggers a 7-3 lead in the opening minutes. Bellevue answered with an 8-0 run to flip momentum. Bynum started the stretch with a jumper, Mathok Mathok scored at the rim to tie it, and Bynum knocked down another mid-range jumper before Haliburton converted two free throws to put the Bruins in front 11-7.

From there, Bellevue gradually built out its advantage. Bynum connected from beyond the arc to make it 14-9, Deng Jal scored inside, and later Thompson and Jal added baskets as the Bruins continued to generate points in the paint. Bynum and Jal each added field goals in the closing minutes of the half, and Thompson knocked down two free throws in the final 90 seconds to send Bellevue into the locker room with a 34-26 lead.

Montgomery helped the Bruins maintain control early in the second half. After Smith extended the margin with a layup, Montgomery sank a jumper and a 3-pointer from the right side, and Bynum added a free throw to make it 42-30. Montana Tech responded as Venema hit a 3-pointer and Diekhans scored in the lane, trimming the deficit to seven, but Smith answered with a jumper and Thompson converted a layup to restore a multi-possession cushion at 47-39.

Bynum's jumper pushed the lead to 49-39, and after an Oredigger 3-pointer, he added two free throws to make it 51-42. Haliburton connected on a 3-pointer from the wing and Montgomery drilled another 3-pointer from long range to give Bellevue its largest lead of the night at 57-46 with just under eight minutes remaining.

Montana Tech climbed back into contention over the final minutes. Williams scored, Venema hit a 3-pointer, and Diekhans completed a three-point play before adding another layup as the Orediggers chipped the margin down to 63-56. After Smith split a pair at the line and Koch scored in transition, a driving layup by Camdyn Larance cut Bellevue's lead to 64-60 with under a minute to play.

The Bruins closed it out at the stripe. Bynum knocked down four free throws in two trips with 46 seconds remaining, and Thompson added one more with 13 seconds left to push the lead back to 67-60. Diekhans converted two free throws in the final seconds, but Bellevue did not allow another field goal, securing the 67-62 victory.

Top Performers

Bellevue University

Ahamad Bynum: 22 points, 6-of-18 FG, 2-of-9 on 3-pointers, 8-of-11 FT, 3 assists

JJ Montgomery: 10 points, 3-of-6 FG, 2-of-4 on 3-pointers, 2-of-2 FT, 4 assists

RJ Smith: 9 points, 4-of-7 FG, 1-of-2 FT

Liam Thompson: 7 points, 2-of-3 FG, 3-of-4 FT

Jermaine Haliburton: 5 points, 1-of-5 FG, 1-of-3 on 3-pointers, 2-of-2 FT

Montana Tech University

Hayden Diekhans: 18 points, 6-of-12 FG, 6-of-11 FT, 8 rebounds

Brayden Koch: 10 points, 5-of-7 FG

Asher Williams: 10 points, 4-of-9 FG, 2-of-2 FT

Ethan Venema: 8 points, 3-of-7 FG, 2-of-4 on 3-pointers

Inside the Numbers

Bellevue shot 37.5 percent from the field (21-of-56), 23.8 percent from beyond the arc (5-of-21), and 74.1 percent at the line (20-of-27). Montana Tech finished at 49.0 percent overall (25-of-51), 27.3 percent on 3-pointers (3-of-11) and 60.0 percent at the stripe (9-of-15).

The Bruins converted their opportunities at the line into a 20-9 scoring edge on free throws and held a 14-5 advantage in points off turnovers. Bellevue also posted a 12-7 margin in second-chance points, offsetting Montana Tech's 34-24 edge in points in the paint.

Up Next

The Bruins will travel to Madison, S.D., next Friday, Jan. 23, for a 7 p.m. Frontier Conference matchup at Dakota State University.