DICKINSON – For Jamestown Jimmies Men’s Basketball, it was all there: a chance for a comeback victory and a spot in the NAIA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Then Dickinson State continued and capped its season-long mastery of the Jimmies.

Dickinson State ended the game with a 15-3 run Tuesday to defeat Jamestown 67-62 at Scott Gym, capture the final North Star Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Championship and conquer the Jimmies for the fourth time this season.

Anthony Walters, who led Jamestown (17-11) with 15 points off the bench, hit a shot with 4:57 remaining to give UJ a 59-52 lead.  John Evans followed with a basket and Gus Wright hit a three-pointer for Dickinson State (19-10) and in 59 seconds, the Jimmies lead was down to 59-57.

Jimmy Llinas split two free throws for the Jimmies with 3:36 left, then Evans hit a fadeaway for the Blue Hawks and Jamestown was up 60-59 with 3:22 left.

29 seconds later, Walters scored for a 62-59 UJ lead, but those turned out to be the Jimmies’ last points.

Kose Egbule, who earlier Tuesday was named as the NSAA Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, hit a jumper in the lane with 2:40 left and Dickinson State was within 62-61.

Five straight empty trips followed between the teams before Egbule drove for a layup and a Blue Hawk lead of 63-62 with 49.7 seconds left.

Silas Bennion had a jumper roll out with 29.7 to go and after a DSU time out, Cordell Stinson threw a full-court pass to Evans, who dunked with 27.7 to play and Dickinson State led 65-62.

Bennion missed a tying three-pointer with 16 seconds left for the Jimmies.  Aidan Fishell sealed the championship for the Blue Hawks with two free throws with 8.8 seconds to play.

Dickinson State led 35-28 at halftime, using a 7-0 run over three minutes late in the half to take charge.

Jamestown rallied with the first 10 points of the second half, and their largest lead later in the half was seven.

Egbule scored 22 for Dickinson State on nine-of-12 shooting and three three-pointers.  Fishell scored 15 points in only 20 minutes off the bench.

Five scored in double figures for Jamestown.  After Walters’ 15 points, Cole Glasgow scored 13, Bennion and Llinas each tallied 11 and Owen Hektner had 10 points.

Jamestown shot 46 percent from the floor, but missed their last six shots.  Dickinson State hit 51 percent from the field.

Dickinson State had lost the NSAA title game the previous two seasons, to Mayville State in 2023 and to Bellevue last season.  Jamestown was looking for its first conference tournament championship since winning the GPAC title in 2019.

DSU has the NSAA’s automatic bid for the NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship, which begins on March 14.  It is not expected that the Jimmies will receive an at-large entry when bids are announced on Thursday.