VALLEY CITY – A hard-fought game ended in Bellevue's favor Saturday night as the Valley City State men's basketball team dropped a 72-65 contest to the Bruins.

Bellevue shot 67 percent in the second half, outscoring the Vikings 42-36 over the final 20 minutes. The Bruins led 30-29 at halftime, and then created some separation with an 11-point lead midway through the second half. The Vikings battled back to within three points in the last minute but the Bruins iced the game at the free throw line in the final 25 seconds.

Valley City State drops to 4-12 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Bellevue University improves to 13-6 overall and 3-0 in conference play. The Bruins are tied with Mayville State atop the NSAA standings.

Kevin Schramm led the Vikings with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Connor Entzi finished with 14 points and six rebounds. Chris Thompson added nine points and three assists, and Logan Nelson scored eight points for the Vikings.

One night after making 10 3-pointers in a victory over Dakota State, the Vikings struggled to find the range from beyond the arc Saturday. VCSU shot 20 percent on 3's, going 3-for-15. The Vikings finished the game shooting 42 percent overall (23-55) and 80 percent on free throws (16-20).

Jemeil King led the Bruins with 23 points and three 3-pointers. Niamey Harris posted 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Isaiah Bates had 10 points off the bench. Bellevue shot 51 percent overall (25-49), 39 percent on 3's (5-13) and 85 percent on free throws (17-20).

Up next: Valley City State travels to Waldorf University and Viterbo University for conference doubleheaders on Friday, Jan. 17, and Saturday, Jan. 18.