Loss Ends 12-Game Winning Streak

Point Lookout, MO - The NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Championship round of sixteen saw an old MCAC rivalry come back to life. Both teams squared up for a physical matchup that saw common opponents battle hard. A fierce back-and-forth game saw the Bruins take the third game of the season series.

York controlled the first half as the Bruins struggled offensively and led by as many as 11 at one point.

The second half was a different story as Bellevue exploded offensively scoring over 50 points and coming back from 16 down to escape with a 78-76 victory to advance to the round of eight.

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The game was focused on each team's defense. The Panthers goal was to stop the deep ball threat, while the Bellevue Bruins looked to slow the game down and force York into a half-court offense. Each team struggled offensively, as York shot 44% from the field and the Bruins just 26%. The Panthers did have 10 turnovers and was outrebounded early on with a 30-22 disadvantage. Those two allowed the Bruins to stay in the ball game throughout the first half, not allowing York to go on a run.

On York's last possession of the half Cooksey cleared out the lane and drove in for the layup to give York their largest lead of the game as the half expired 39-28.

Cameron Coleman (SR/Allen, Texas) opened up the second half with an offensive surge scoring the first five points of the half. The quick run put the Panthers up 44-28 before back-to-back-to-back threes by Bellevue got them within single digits once again. York got their tempo going again with a couple quick buckets by Drelan Tripplett (JR/Oklahoma City, Okla) but two missed layups by the Panthers left the door open for the Bruins.

Bellevue's Mike Cardenas brought the Bruins within four points and the Panthers couldn't seem to pull away in the chippy game. Another three point basket, this time by Nick Hilton of Bellevue pulled the Bruins with one point at 56-55.

York was looking to make a run but turnovers kept creeping up on them and Bellevue would take the lead 65-64 with 5:45 to go in the game. Cooksey got the lead back for the Panthers on the next possession as he hit a contended three to put the Panthers back up by two. Over the final five minutes of play the game was back and forth with neither team getting a comfortable lead.

With less than a minute to go Cooksey hit his first free throw to go up by three. However, the Bruins climbed back in and with 35 seconds on the clock hit a dagger of a three to go up two. York had a chance to win the game after Bellevue missed the front end of the one-and-one. With eight seconds left York got an open look for the win but Kameron Malbrough (FR/Arlington, Texas) missed the shot. An offensive rebound gave the Panthers another shot but the missed lob, with one second remaining, fell short.

The Bruins shot 57% from the floor in the second half including 9-of-17 from beyond the arc. The Panthers struggled in the second half shooting 38% from the floor and just 1-of-7 from beyond the arc in the half.

Cooksey led the Panthers with 17 points while Coleman added another double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Keith Mack (JR/Chicago, Ill) added 12 points and Triplett had 11.

The Panthers were strong in the paint outscoring the Bruins 42-26, but unable to capitalize on some late putbacks to extend their second half lead. Bellevue was plus-10 on the boards as well.
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York finishes the season 25-10, which ties the program's season win total. The loss also snapped York's 12-game winning streak.