WATERTOWN, S.D. - Saturday's game was not just your typical Bellevue-Mayville State battle. The game had much more on the line than just a win in the conference standings, as it was the North Star Athletic Association's conference tournament championship. And, like in years past, Mayville State came to play, winning their second straight championship 65-55 over the Bruins.

"I am so proud of our guys," head coach Darren Tighe said. "They did the right thing on and off the court all year, and it showed this weekend."

It was all Mayville State from the start, but not without some back-and-forth action in the first half. Max Cooper's back-to-back buckets in the first half put Mayville State ahead 20-15, but then Sequon Walker nailed a pair of free throws to bring the lead back to three points, before Kobe Critchley hit a three and a two-point jumper, back to back, to again extend the lead to eight. Eric Staebler also hit back-to-back buckets, extending the Comet lead to ten heading into the final moments of the first half, before Bellevue's Stephen Matthews closed the first half with a three-pointer with just four seconds to go, on a pass from Walker.

The beginning of the second half started just like the first half, with Bellevue's Justin Bessard nailing a jumper just over a minute in, pulling Bellevue to within five points, followed by Max Cooper's basket with 17:37 to go in the half. Sequan Walker then hit a pair of free throws before Mayville State began running away.

Daniel Lindgren started a 7-0 for Mayville State with a bucket with 16:52 to go, and then tournament MVP Gorg Alhag hit a three to extend the lead to 10, followed by a Lindgren basket, putting the Comets ahead by 12, with 15:05 to go in the game.

"They are tough and together," Tighe said. "That is a dangerous combination."

Bellevue pulled back to within eight points on back-to-back buckets, but then Creighton Pfau hit a put back bucket out of a Mayville State timeout, then Alhag  drained a three with 12:45 to go in the game, pulling Mayville ahead 47-34.

Lindgren would again strike moments later with a pair of buckets, totaling five points on the two shots, extending the lead to 52-36. Bellevue responded with Walker and Richard Reed hitting back-to-back buckets.

Bellevue took the first run of 10-0, led by two points from Connor Dukes and three points from Walker, but it all began with a three from Jaron Dickson with 5:40 to go in the half. Bellevue's run lasted just under three minutes, and brought the Bruins to within six points, 56-50.

But, the Comets responded in a big way. Critchley and Staebler hit two free throws each, along with a bucket by Lindgren, to pull Mayville State ahead again by 12, 62-50, with 45 seconds left.

Bessard and Walker all scored points in the final 38 seconds, but it wasn't enough for the Bruins.

Five Comets were in double figures--Lindgren led all scorers with 18 points, Alhag and Critchley had 11 each, and Cooper and Staebler added 10 each.

The Comets, who improve to 20-8, advance to the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament for the second year in a row. Last year, the Comets defeated Dickinson State 73-70 to advance, before falling to The College of Idaho 66-50 in the opening round of the tournament.

This year's tournament will begin on March 6 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The 2019 NAIA Men's DII National Championship bracket will be released Wednesday, February 27 at 5 p.m. (CST).