BELLEVUE, NEB – The comeback bid for the 22^nd ranked Mayville State University Comets, against the Bellevue Bruins, who received votes in the latest poll, came up short Monday night, as the Comets used a 39-point second half to try and defeat the home Bruins, but it was Bellevue who came out on top 84-74 at the Lozier Center in North Star Athletic Association action.
"I really liked how hard our guys played," Comets head coach Darren Tighe said.
Less than two minutes in, the Comets built a three-point lead, on a Max Cooper jumper, but the Bruins fought back and pulled to within one point on a jump shot by Lewis Hayes with 17:19 to go in the opening half of play in Bellevue.
Cooper and Jalen Valverde extended the lead to five on a pair of shots, but Hayes continued to show his strength, making it a three-point game with 16:22 to go in the half.
The Bruins took their first lead of the night at the 15:36 mark of the half, after Connor Dukes sunk a pair of free-throws, after being fouled by Latrelle Franklin. Dukes, less than a minute later, sunk a layup and extended the lead to three points, causing Tighe to call a timeout.
The Dukes show continued out of a timeout, as the Bruins' scorer made it a six-point game with a trey.
Thomas GIeske stopped the run and brought the game to within four points, but the Bruins went right back to work, as Niamey Harris made a jumper count.
The two teams traded back-to-back three pointers, as Bellevue kept the game at a four-point lead closing in on halfway through the first half.
Cooper pulled the Comets to within a bucket with a layup, but Jaron Dickson answered right back 21 seconds later.
Isaiah Bates extended the lead to eight with just over eight minutes left.
The teams battled, with the Comets holding the lead to single digits until Jaylen Wiltz's three-point jumper extended the lead to 10 with 5:19 to go in the first half. Bellevue extended the lead to 11 as they headed into the locker room at halftime.
Cooper opened the second half scoring, draining a jumper 27 seconds in, cutting the lead to nine points. Iker Cruz added a three-pointer, and, quickly, the lead diminished to six points. But, the Bruins caught fire, and were able to grow it back to a 10-point lead, but Gieske made sure the lead wouldn't get out of hand, as he nailed a free-throw with 16:14 to go.
Bellevue pulled back ahead by 13 points, but Franklin hit his own three-pointer, reducing the lead to 10 points with just over 15 minutes left.
"Your margin for error gets smaller and smaller as we get deeper into the season," Tighe said. "They made a few more plays than we did today."
Melendez eventually pulled the Comets to within nine points for one final time in the game, sinking a free-throw with 1:13 left in the ballgame.
Four Comets were in double figures, including a double-double by Cooper. He had 15 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.
Valverde finished with 14, while Franklin and Melendez each had 13.
Mayville State will return home Friday, as they take on the Presentation College Saints at 7:30 p.m. at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse.