MAYVILLE, ND – It's not very often a nationally-ranked tea/m comes into the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse early in November. But, the opportunity presented itself Saturday night for college basketball fans in Mayville. And the Comets responded. The Mayville State men's basketball team knocked off nationally ranked #25 Dordt (IA) University Saturday night, 96-80, in NAIA basketball action at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse in Mayville.
 
"I'm proud of our energy and enthusiasm tonight," Comets head coach Darren Tighe said. "I love how when things got tough our guys came together and fought it together. Dordt is an incredibly good team and it was a very well-played game by both teams."
 
The win, which came on a cold Saturday night, was Mayville State's second win at home against the Defenders. The Comets are now 2-0 against the Defenders at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse, and 2-2 overall against them.
 
Mayville State jumped out to a 19-9 lead just seven minutes into the game, before Dordt was able to get their feet. A Garrett Franken basket with 13:12 left in the first half brought the margin to nine, followed seconds later by a bucket by Jesse Jansma, making it 21-14. Chad Barkema then made it 21-16 with 12:00 left, the closest the game would get until just under the ten-minute mark of the first half.
 
Franken and Zach Bussard, along with Mayville State's Max Cooper, made the game 25-22 with 9:11 left in the half.
 
The teams would keep the margin at around five points until just under five-and-a-half minutes left, when Ben Gesink sunk a three-pointer for Dordt, making it 35-33. Gesink tied it up less than a minute later, on Bussard's steal with 4:25 to go.
 
Franken gave Dordt the lead with 2:34 to go, when he sunk one-of-two free throws.
 
Malachi Wharry responded a moment later, with a three-pointer, giving the Comets a 38-36 lead. Cooper extended the lead to 40-36 with around 2:30 left.
 
Franken split that lead in half with 1:18 to go, with the final bucket of the first half.
 
Mayville State never let go heading into the second half, building up their lead to 13 points, on a three-pointer by Dominic Schuster, with 9:54 to go in the game.
 
Gesink would again pull the Defenders to within 10 points, but the Comets answered. With 7:21 to go, Bussard sunk a basket to pull the lead to within seven, but Mayville State answered. A three-minute scoreless streak for Dordt put the game away, as they trailed 90-78 with 2:03 to go in the game.
 
Iker Cruz came up big late, scoring two huge free throws to increase the Comet lead to 13, with 1:17 to go.
 
"Iker really stepped up when we needed him," Tighe said. "He puts in a ton of time on his own working on his game and I am pumped he was able to showcase that tonight."
 
Cruz was one of five Comets in double-figures, scoring 23 points in the contest, while Cooper finished with 17 points. Latrelle Franklin just missed a double-double, picking up 14 points and nine rebounds for the Comets. Ramirez also had 14, while Jalen Valverde had 13.
 
Mayville State (4-1) will travel to Fargo on Thursday to take on the North Dakota State University Bison.