STORM LAKE, Iowa (Dec. 7, 2024) - The Buena Vista University men's basketball team hosted Coe College in an American Rivers Conference game on Saturday night, and the Beavers remained unbeaten in conference play with a thrilling 63-60 victory over the Kohawks.

Zane Neubaum scored a game-high 26 points in the game and moves with six points of fourth-place on BVU's all-time scoring list. Gunner Reed posted his third double-double of the year by scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Sophomore Carter Sievers chipped in with 14 points.

BVU shot a season-low 36.5 percent from the field in the contest but won the game at the free-throw line where it went 10-of-12 compared to Coe which went just 5-of-13. The Beavers also outrebounded the Kohawks, 42-32, including a 15-7 margin on the offensive end.

Buena Vista jumped out to an early 10-2 lead, and that was the game's largest lead until the final minutes of regulation when the Beavers pushed in front at 59-49 with 2:23 remaining. Coe just wouldn't go away without a fight and responded with back-to-back three-point buckets and later got a layup to claw back as close as 59-57 and 30 seconds to go.

The Kohawks then had to foul BVU down the stretch, and sophomore Kyle Sternberg stepped to the line and sunk a pair before Neubaum made 1-of-2 on consecutive trips to push it to 63-60. Coe made a free-throw with four seconds left to make it a two-point game with the second attempt rimming out, and the Kohawks run out of time.

Coe's largest lead was 46-40 with nine minutes to play in the second half, but that margin was erased on a 14-0 run by the Beavers that was capped by a Sievers three with 4:24 to go.

Cole Hrubes scored 18 points to lead three Kohawks (4-4, 1-2 A-R-C) in double figures. They shot over 46 percent from the field overall but just 5-of-17 from downtown.

Buena Vista improves to 4-3 overall (2-0 A-R-C) and now travels to Martin Luther College on Tuesday, Dec. 10, for a non-conference game against the Knights. Tip-off in New Ulm, Minn., is at 7 p.m.