BISMARCK, N.D. – Bismarck State men's basketball dropped its final home game at the historic BSC Armory on Saturday night, falling to Valley City State (N.D.) 94-70 in a game that was tight at halftime before the Vikings pulled away with a dominant second half.
The Mystics kept pace through the first 20 minutes, trading baskets with Valley City State in a back-and-forth affair that saw the score tied four times. BSC even took a brief two-point lead in the closing seconds of the half before a Joel Nelson three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Vikings a 41-40 edge at the break. The Mystics shot 44.1% from the field in the half and got strong early contributions from Jah Gulley, who scored 11 first-half points to keep BSC in the hunt.
But Valley City State came out of the locker room with a different level of intensity, shooting 55.3% in the second half and pushing the lead to as many as 29 points. Kaleb Larson led the charge, knocking down three-pointers in bunches and finishing with a game-high 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc. Nelson added 20 points for the Vikings, who connected on 19 three-pointers for the game.
BSC managed just 30 points in the second half, with 17 turnovers on the night, leading to 33 VCSU points off miscues, proving the decisive difference.
Gulley finished with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line to go along with six rebounds and two assists. Alex Proctor added 12 points, including a highlight-reel first-half dunk, while Houston Davis and Carter Zeller each chipped in eight points. Kamayua Black Jr. provided a spark off the bench with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting.
BSC falls to 1-25 overall and 1-19 in Frontier Conference play with two games remaining. The Mystics close out the regular season on the road next weekend, traveling for a pair of matchups at Bellevue (Neb.) and Dakota State (S.D.) on Feb. 20 and 21, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. each night.
Saturday's loss also closed the book on men's basketball at the BSC Armory, a venue that has hosted Mystics basketball for generations. The program will make its home at the new Bavendick Center beginning next season.
Check out the men's schedule for information on how to follow and watch the team during their final games.
Be sure to visit BSCMystics.com and download the MysticNation app to continue to stay up to date with everything going on in Mystic Athletics.
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