MVNU (5-2), which is now just 17-51 all-time against the Red Storm including posting only six wins ever in Newt Oliver Arena, got off to a good start as the Cougars jumped out to a 13-6 lead by the 14:54 mark as sophomore guard Brandon Short (left) and junior post Bryce Sanborn each scored four early points.

However, following the media timeout, Rio Grande (7-1) caught fire and went on an 8-0 run to take its first lead of the game at 14-13 on a three-pointer by Brett Beucler with 11:55 remaining in the first half.

The two teams traded baskets over the next two minutes with MVNU holding a slim 17-16 following a layup by Short with just over 10 minutes left before the break. Then, the Red Storm went on an 8-2 run to go in front 24-19 at the 7:38 mark following a three-point play by Aaron Drakeford and five points from Beucler.

The Cougars battled back to tie the score at 31-31 with 4:27 left before the break when senior guard Ben Falkenberg nailed the first of two free throw attempts after being fouled hard on a play. After he missed the second free throw attempt to end a string of 36 consecutive free throws made dating back to last year that equaled the school record set previously by former MVNU standout Andy Dunn during the 2003-2004 season, Falkenberg was forced to come out of the game due to the pain. He would miss the remainder of the half.

A three-point play by freshman guard Robbie Taylor gave the Cougars a 34-31 advantage at the 4:03 mark, but MVNU would go on to score just two more points in the half as the team went 1-for-9 from the field while the Red Storm closed the half on an 8-2 surge to take a 39-36 advantage to the locker room at the break.

Short led the Cougars with 12 first-half points as he went 5-for-6 from the field, while Falkenberg finished the half with 10 points. Sophomore forward Adam Grimm also contributed five points and four rebounds off the bench. MVNU shot 40.0 percent from the field (14-for-35), just 12.5 percent from three-point range (1-for-8), and 87.5 percent from the free throw line (7-for-8).

Rio Grande was led by Beucler with 10 first-half points, while P.J. Rase tossed in nine points. Brandon Ivery contributed eight points and eight rebounds, and Will Norwell chipped in with seven points. The Red Storm shot 45.2 percent from the field (14-for-31), 42.9 percent from three-point range (3-for-7), and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (8-for-12).

Rio Grande opened the second half on a 25-17 run as the Red Storm took their biggest lead of the game at 64-53 on a three-pointer by Kory Valentine at the 9:41 mark. Drakeford, Rase, Beucler, and Doug Campbell each drained a three-pointer during this surge, while Norwell converted a three-point play as part of his seven points during this stretch.

The Cougars mounted a comeback over the next six minutes to knot the score at 71-71 with 3:42 to play on a layup by senior forward Jadin Thomas (right). Short scored six points, Falkenberg added five points, and Thomas tossed in four points to fuel the 18-7 run. However, four missed free throws during that stretch would also prove crucial later on.

Beucler went 1-for-2 at the free throw line and Ivery hit two free throws to extend Rio Grande’s lead backt o 74-71, but a layup by Falkenberg kept the Cougars within striking distance at 74-73 with 1:30 remaining.

After Beucler canned a pair of free throws to extend the Red Storm’s lead back to 76-73, Thomas drained a three-pointer with 47 seconds to play to knot the score at 76-76.

A layup by Norwell with 27 seconds to go and a pair of free throws by Beucler with 11 seconds remaining pushed Rio Grande’s lead back to 80-76, but Falkenberg hit a jumper with 5.1 seconds still on the clock to keep MVNU alive 80-78.

Rase, who was perfect from the free throw line on the season, was fouled with no time coming off the clock and calmly nailed both free throws to give the Red Storm an 82-78 advantage before Falkenberg drained a trey just ahead of the final buzzer to close out the scoring in the 82-81 game.

Falkenberg led the Cougars with a game-high 24 points to go with three assists and four steals, while Short finished with a career-high 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field before fouling out. Thomas also just missed a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds to go with a career-high five steals. Grimm and senior wing Andy Francis also contributed seven and six points respectively off the bench. Senior guard Dan Borcherdt, who entered the game averaging 15.3 points and ranked third in NAIA Division II in three-pointers made per game (4.3), was held scoreless and went 0-for-10 from the field and 0-for-4 from three-point range. MVNU finished the game shooting 44.8 percent from the field (30-for-67), 23.5 percent from three-point range (4-for-17), and 58.6 percent from the free throw line (17-for-29).

Beucler led four Rio Grande players in double figures with 20 points, while Norwell added 19 points and seven rebounds. Ivery posted a double-double with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists, and Rase contributed 14 points. The Red Storm shot 50.0 percent from the field for the game (27-for-54), a blistering 53.3 percent from three-point range (8-for-15), and 76.9 percent from the free throw line (20-for-26) including 12-for-14 in the decisive second half.

“I thought we played well enough to win tonight,” said MVNU coach Scott Flemming. “We really struggled from the perimeter and the free throw line. If we hit just a few more free throws, then this is our game. We let their physical play affect us early and then we adjusted to it. We’ll spend some time shooting free throws over the break.”

The Cougars will have a week off now for Thanksgiving before their next game on December 2 when MVNU will host Ohio Dominican University at 7:30 p.m. The Cougars will be looking to stop a two-game skid against the Panthers, who were 2-2 entering Tuesday’s game at Wilberforce University.