STORM LAKE, Iowa (Dec. 29, 2025) - Junior Carter Sievers scored a season-high 25 points while junior Kyle Sternberg and sophomore Adam Bryte each added 20, to help lead the Buena Vista men's basketball team hold off visiting Howard Payne University, 99-97, on Monday evening inside of Siebens Fieldhouse.

Sievers flirted with a triple double by also adding eight rebounds and dishing out seven assists. He finished the game shooting 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-3 from downtown while doing a chunk of his scoring at the charity stripe by making a career-high 12-of-16. Sternberg was 8-of-12 shooting and matched Sievers with eight boards while chipping in with three blocks. Bryte buried a team-high four three-pointers (4-of-11) and made all four of his free-throw attempts. He was the third player to haul in eight boards.

Sophomore Jayden Brink made 3-of-7 from long range and finished with 13 points and four steals while senior Jackson Jones chimed in with 12 points, six rebounds and seven assists.

As a team, the Beavers were efficient from outside, making a season-high 15 three-point baskets and shooting nearly 43 percent. The team also took advantage of its trip to the charity stripe by making its first 14 attempts and finishing 26-of-33 .

The Yellow Jackets, who came in averaging over 13 steals and 98.0 points per game, used a tough full court press, forced a pair of quick turnovers and scored the first seven points of the game before BVU settled in and stormed back with 10 straight to lead 10-7. It was a game of runs at the start with HPU then scoring 11 consecutive to build its largest lead of the game at 18-10. A pair of free-throws from Sievers later capped an 11-0 surge by the Beavers that put them back on top 21-18 midway through the opening half.

From there, the Beavers continued to push forward and built their largest advantage at 42-30 after a layup from Sternberg with 3:53 to go. The Yellow Jackets kept within striking distance and kept chipping away and pulled within 49-42 at the half.

The second half was back-and-forth with each team answering the other. HPU made it a 62-60 game with over 11 minutes remaining and eventually pulled even at 64-64. The Yellow Jackets kept the momentum going and built their largest cushion of the second half at 74-66 at the 7:04 mark.

BVU then got three-point makes from Bryte, Brink and Sievers on consecutive shot attempts to make it 77-75, and after HPU pushed the margin back up to seven, Jackson Jones buried a three-pointer to make it a three-point game. Brink nailed back-to-back three pointers to pull the Beavers even at 87-87 with 1:41 left. Bryte later pushed the margin to three at 92-89 with under 40 seconds left, and then it became a free-throw shootout down the stretch.

The Yellow Jackets had the chance to tie the game at the free-throw line after being fouled on a three-point attempt, but missed the final attempt to keep BVU ahead 92-91. Sievers made a pair of free-throws to make it a three-point game, and after HPU misfired on a three-point attempt the next trip down the court, Shane Bierle grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He went to the line and made both attempts to bump it to a 96-91 lead with 18 seconds left.

HPU got an offensive put back to make it only a three-point game with 11 seconds  left. The Beavers had the chance late in the game to make it a four-point game with under five seconds left, but came up empty on the trip to give the Yellow Jackets one final chance with 0.8 seconds left at just across midcourt. HPU came out of a timeout and got a good look inside the free-throw line as time expired but the ball rolled off the rim.

BVU has now scored at least 90 points in three straight games with the 99 a new season-high.

Armonie Raney scored 22 points, to go along with 12 rebounds and six steals and five assists, to lead the Yellow Jackets. The team did most of its damage around the rim with 54 points in the paint to go along with 26-of-35 at the free-throw line.

Buena Vista is now 8-3 on the year and is right back on the court on Tuesday, Dec. 30, to host Carleton College (6-5) at 4 p.m.