VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUVikings.com) – The Presentation College men’s basketball team rallied in the second half to defeat Valley City State University on Friday night.
The Vikings held a six-point halftime lead, 46-40, over the conference-leading Saints. Presentation College would outscore the Vikings 43-30 in the second half to rally for an 83-76 victory.
Valley City State drops to 5-14 overall and 2-6 in conference play. Presentation College, which is receiving votes in the latest Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, improves to 15-7 overall and 7-1 in conference play.
Friday night’s game featured nine ties and 11 lead changes. A jumper by sophomore Logan Nelson gave the Vikings their last lead at 62-59 midway through the second half. The Saints’ Sean Schuring answered on the other end with a 3-pointer to tie the game and set off an 11-0 run by the Saints. The big run opened up a 70-62 lead for PC, and the Vikings could get no closer than four points the rest of the way.
Valley City State finished the game shooting 44 percent from the field (27-61), 41 percent on 3’s (9-22) and 93 percent at the line (13-14). The Vikings were held to just 38 percent shooting in the second half.
Presentation College shot 46 percent overall (24-52), 44 percent on 3’s (7-16), and 85 percent at the line (28-33). The Saints held a big 38-21 rebounding advantage, including a 9-3 advantage on the offensive glass.
Valley City State had 10 assists and 10 turnovers, while the Saints finished with five assists and 16 turnovers. VCSU forward Connor Entzi forced five of those turnovers by drawing five charges in the game.
Michael Cornelious led the Viking offense with a game-high 24 points. The junior guard also had eight rebounds and three assists. Nelson scored 18 points and dished out four assists, while Entzi finished with 14 points and freshman Hunter Sand knocked down three 3-pointers en route to 11 points. Christian Kvilvang added nine points as only five Vikings scored in the game.
Quadre Lollis led the Saints with 21 points on 7-for-15 shooting. Devonta Brooks scored 15 points and Jalen Guidry finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Mychal Deas had eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Up next: Valley City State hosts Dickinson State on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Presentation College travels to Mayville State for a doubleheader on Saturday