LACROSSE, WIS. – Cleveland Bedgood poured in a career-high 46 points Friday night as the VCSU men's basketball team narrowly dropped a nailbiter on the road at Viterbo University.
 
Viterbo converted a 3-point play with 8 seconds remaining, taking an 87-86 lead over the Vikings. VCSU went one more time to Bedgood but his contested 19-foot jumper at the buzzer was just short.
 
Valley City State drops to 9-10 overall and 1-4 in conference play. Viterbo University is now 7-14 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
 
Bedgood turned in one of the top scoring performances in Viking history on Friday night. He shot 16-for-23 from the field and was 5-for-6 on 3-pointers. He also went 9-for-13 on free throws and added seven rebounds. Bedgood's 46 points is the most scored by a Viking in the last 50 years. It is the third highest recorded total in Viking history and the most since Cavin Andersen put up 52 points in 1972.
 
The school record is 54 points by Bob Price in 1951. The latest 40-point game came in 1994 when Brian Rieger scored 40 against Mayville State.
 
The Vikings trailed 48-41 at halftime and were down by as many as 14 points at 69-55 in the second half. Valley City State put together a 19-5 run and eventually tied the game at 74-74 on a pair of free throws from Bedgood with 5:54 remaining.
 
The teams traded leads the rest of the game with Viterbo taking the final lead. With VCSU ahead 86-84, Viterbo's Dakota Mannel drove the hoop, made the basket and drew a foul with 8 seconds remaining. He made the free throw for an 87-86 lead and VCSU's last-second shot was off the mark.
 
The Vikings shot 60 percent in the loss, going 31-for-52 from the field. VCSU was 5-for-14 on 3's (36 percent) and went 19-for-27 on free throws. Outside of Bedgood's big night, the Vikings got 11 points off the bench by Lamar Grayson, who went 4-for-4 shooting. Odier Olange added eight points and Agwa Nywesh had seven points and five rebounds.
 
Viterbo shot 57 percent overall (29-51), 46 percent on 3's (10-22) and 72 percent on free throws (19-26). Cole Crubel made six 3's for the V-Hawks and finished with 22 points off the bench.
 
Up next: Valley City State will attempt to bounce back Saturday afternoon at Waldorf University.