Bruins erase early 15-point hole to top Carroll, 82-75

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Bellevue University rallied from an early 17-2 deficit and used a dominant second half to defeat Carroll College, 82-75, in Frontier Conference men's basketball action Friday night at the BU Fieldhouse.

With the win, Bellevue, receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 coaches' poll, improved to 19-4 overall and 14-3 in Frontier play. Carroll dropped to 15-7 on the season and 13-4 in league games.

Ahamad Bynum led five Bruins in double figures with a game-high 25 points to go with four rebounds and three steals. RJ Smith narrowly missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Liam Thompson matched his career high with 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting while adding five boards. Jaden Phillips and Jermaine Haliburton also scored 12 points apiece as BU held a 50-42 edge in points in the paint and went 24-of-31 at the free-throw line.

Carroll was paced by Isaiah Crane's 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Lorence Dela Cruz finished with 14 points, while Nate Christy added 11 points and five rebounds, and Drew Jones chipped in nine points off the bench as the Saints shot 52.6 percent from the field.

How It Happened

Carroll controlled the opening minutes, scoring the first 10 points and racing out to a 17-2 lead as the Bruins opened just 1-of-10 from the field and 0-of-6 from beyond the arc. Bynum helped steady BU's offense, scoring 13 first-half points as the Bruins gradually chipped away, but the Saints carried a 39-31 advantage into the locker room.

Bellevue opened the second half with a 12-5 stretch, highlighted by two layups from Thompson and five points from Smith, to pull within 46-43 with just over 15 minutes remaining. Carroll rebuilt a seven-point cushion at 50-43, but Haliburton and Mathok Mathok combined for the next seven points, capped by Haliburton's driving basket, to forge a 50-50 tie at the 13:33 mark.

The Saints briefly pushed back in front and later led 69-63 after a Jones 3-pointer with 5:23 left. From there, BU closed the game on a 19-6 run. Phillips and Thompson each scored at the rim, Bynum converted three free throws, and Haliburton completed a three-point play to bring the Bruins within 73-72. Bynum then gave Bellevue its first lead of the night at 75-73 with a 3-pointer from the right wing with 2:07 remaining.

After Isaac Round tied the game on the next possession, Smith responded with two free throws and a short jumper on consecutive trips to make it 79-75 with one minute to play. Haliburton and JJ Montgomery combined to go 3-of-4 at the stripe in the final 37 seconds, and the Bruins closed out the 82-75 victory as Carroll missed its final two 3-point attempts.

Inside the Numbers

Bellevue shot 53.8 percent from the field (28-of-52) and 77.4 percent at the line (24-of-31), while Carroll finished 52.6 percent overall (30-of-57) and 64.7 percent at the stripe (11-of-17).

The Bruins finished with a 30-26 edge on the glass and a 20-15 advantage in bench scoring.

BU outscored Carroll 51-36 in the second half and 28-20 in the paint after the break.

Top Performers

Bellevue University

Ahamad Bynum: 25 points, 7-of-17 FG, 10-of-10 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 steals

RJ Smith: 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks

Liam Thompson: 12 points, 6-of-6 FG, 5 rebounds (tied career high in scoring)

Jaden Phillips: 12 points, 3 assists

Jermaine Haliburton: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4-of-6 FT

Mathok Mathok: 6 points, 4 rebounds

Carroll College

Isaiah Crane: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists

Lorence Dela Cruz: 14 points

Nate Christy: 11 points, 5 rebounds

Drew Jones: 9 points, 2 assists

Up Next

The Bruins will host 23rd-ranked Rocky Mountain College tomorrow (Feb. 7) beginning at 7 p.m. inside the BU Fieldhouse. Rocky leads the Frontier Conference standings at 15-2 in league play, with Bellevue in second place at 14-3.