MITCHELL, S.D. – Damian Pearson scored 23 points and the Valley City State men's basketball team mounted a late comeback Friday afternoon, falling just short in an 84-81 loss to Hastings.
The Vikings battled back from a 12-point second-half deficit, cutting the margin to four multiple times down the stretch before Hastings held on at the free-throw line. VCSU moves to 1-1 on the season, while Hastings opens its season at 1-0.
Pearson scored 18 of his 23 points after halftime, finishing with three 3-pointers and an 8-for-10 performance at the foul line. Jaelyn Johnson added 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including three makes from beyond the arc.
Maddox Griffin contributed 12 points, a team-high seven rebounds and three assists. Logan Deal finished with 11 points, making all three of his field-goal attempts and all five of his free throws. Taylor Bryant-Frey knocked down three 3-pointers for nine points, while Joel Nelson recorded six points, seven assists and four rebounds.
Hastings used a strong shooting performance to take control in the opening half. The Broncos made 17 of 24 shots from the field, including six of nine from 3-point range, to carry a 44-38 lead into halftime. Johnson paced the Vikings with 10 first-half points.
The Broncos extended their advantage to 69-57 with 7:30 remaining and still led by 12 at 72-60 with just under six minutes to play. VCSU responded with eight straight points to work its way back into contention.
Griffin started the run with two free throws before Pearson converted a three-point play. Griffin followed with a three-point play of his own, bringing the Vikings within 72-68 with 3:51 remaining.
After Hastings answered with a 3-pointer, Johnson connected from beyond the arc to make it 75-71 with 2:41 left. The Vikings continued to battle in the closing minutes, but the Broncos made their final six free throws to protect the lead. Bryant-Frey's 3-pointer with two seconds remaining brought VCSU within the final three-point margin.
Valley City State shot 44.2 percent from the field and made nine 3-pointers. The Vikings finished 26-for-31 at the free-throw line, held a 26-24 rebounding advantage and committed just six turnovers.
Nate Parras led Hastings with 19 points and nine rebounds. The Broncos shot 60 percent overall and went 10-for-18 from 3-point range.
