MAYVILLE, N.D. -- A fast start for the Viterbo V-Hawks Tuesday night, in the North Star Athletic Association's post-season opener, didn't deter Mayville State's momentum, with the Comets coming from behind early and holding off the V-Hawks 72-56 at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse in Mayville.

"Right now it's all about 'survive and advance'," Head Coach Dennis Hutter said. "We did not play our best, but we found a way to get the win."

Mayville State's hand turned hot in the second quarter, watching the Comets put up 25 points, holding the V-Hawks to just 11.

The turning point was a run in the second quarter, which was started by a pair of Kylee Heurung free-throws with 6:25 left in the opening half. Just 12 seconds later, Nicole Bunting was fouled by Viterbo's Madison Doerr, and Bunting made both free-throws, putting the Comets ahead 26-21. Bunting would answer an Ambree Schlosser three-pointer with one of her own, one of her four on the night, putting the Comets ahead 30-24 with 5:24 left in the half.

The lead would grow to as much as 17 in the later stages of the second quarter, on a three-pointer by Joelle Ertl with 37 seconds left in the half, putting Mayville State ahead 43-26. Ertl finished the game with four threes.

"We played very well in the second quarter," Hutter said.

Halfway through the third, the lead would grow to 22, as Cyan Hale nailed a two-point shot, making the score 54-32. The lead of 20-plus would remain constant, until Doerr's bucket with 2:13 to go made it 56-37 in favor of the Comets.

The two teams would trade baskets for the first 1:18 of the fourth quarter, but Mayville State used an 8-1 run to pull ahead 66-42, a lead that would prove insurmountable for the remainder of the basketball game.

The game started with a lot of Viterbo momentum, as the V-Hawks went on a 5-0 run in the first 45 seconds on back-to-back buckets by Alyssa Nilssen. The Comets, however, would take the momentum back, as Ertl and Heurung hit back-to-back threes just 40 seconds apart, pulling Mayville State ahead 6-5.

The Comets would then give up the lead, but pull to within 10-9 on a pair of Ertl free-throws, before Viterbo pulled ahead by five with 3:47 to go in the first quarter. The Comets would pull to within one with 1:01 to go and would end up taking the lead heading into the first quarter break on a Claire Blascziek jumper with just three seconds left in the first quarter.

Mayville State was led in scoring by four players in double figures--Heurung and Ertl each had 16, with six three pointers combined; Blascziek and Bunting each added 14 to pace the Comets. Heurung registered a double-double, adding 11 rebounds to her 16 points. The Comets had 40 rebounds as a team.

"I thought we rebounded the ball very well tonight," Hutter said. "They are the number one offensive rebounding team in our league, and we held them to six offensive rebounds."

Hutter praised his team.

"I am very proud of this group and what they have accomplished," he said. "We are excited for the 'Final Four' in Watertown."

At the Final Four, the Comets will face a familiar foe in Presentation College, who shocked the Waldorf Warriors Tuesday night, 79-71, to advance.

"They (Presentation) are a very good team that has two very good offensive players," Hutter said. "We will have to be solid defensively on Saturday."

Saturday's game between the Comets and Saints will begin at 1 p.m. at the Watertown Civic Arena in Watertown, S.D.