STORM LAKE, Iowa (November 23, 2019) - Despite shooting under 40 percent for the game and seeing a 19-point second-half lead cut to just one with under four minutes to play, the Buena Vista men's basketball team stayed the course and made plays and hit free-throws down the stretch to help it remain perfect on the year en route to an 80-72 home victory over the University of Northwestern-St. Paul on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Timothy Jeffries led all scorers with a game-high 26 points, junior Michael Demers followed with 16, as Lincoln Rock and Noah Schmitt chipped in with 13 and 11, respectively.  Jeffries and Demers each hauled in five rebounds with Rock dishing out a career-high five assists.  Schmitt grabbed a career-high nine rebounds, including four offensive boards.  Jeffries connected on 1-of-2 free-throws in the closing minute to snap a string of 34 consecutive made free-throws.  He finished the game making 9-of-10.

BVU led 49-30 two minutes into the second half, matching its largest lead of the contest.  The Eagles slowly chipped away at the lead and cut it down to single digits just five minutes later.  The margin was trimmed all the way down to a point at 70-69 with 3:35 to play before Jeffries made a jumper down low and hit two more free-throws to push the lead back to five.  Noah Alm was then fouled on a three-point attempt and stepped to the line to make all three and cut the Beaver lead back down to 74-72 with 1:05 remaining.

Jeffries then took control down the stretch, taking a feed from Dominic Sesma for a layup and then making 1-of-2 at the line to give BVU a seven-point lead.  Demers then took a pass from Jeffries off a missed shot attempt and ran down court to lay it in for an and-one.  The made free-throw made it the final eight-point margin.

The Eagles went 15-1 in the UMAC a season ago and advanced into the second round of the NCAA DIII National Tournament a season ago.  They are now 3-3 this season after the loss despite holding the Beavers to 14 points under their season average.

BVU improves to 4-0 inside of Siebens Fieldhouse this season and is 6-0 overall.  The team now shifts gears to the American Rivers Conference season which tips-off on Tuesday night, November 26, when the team hosts Coe College (3-3) at 7:30 p.m.