STORM LAKE, Iowa (Jan. 17, 2026) - Sophomore Adam Bryte scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds, and made the game-winning three-pointer with just under six seconds left as the Buena Vista men's basketball team held off Luther College on Saturday evening, 66-63.
BVU came out and built an early 25-9 cushion after Bryte's only other three-point basket of the game at the 11:49 mark of the opening half. From there, though, the Beavers scored only 12 points the rest of the half as the Norse clawed their way back to within 37-30 at the half.
After shooting nearly 47 percent from the field in the first half, the Beavers cooled way off in the second and was held to 33 percent on 10-of-30. Half of those makes were from long range, including the eventual game-winner.
Junior Kyle Sternberg made a pair of shots from long range in the opening minutes of the second half as the Beavers led by eight three minutes into the half. The Norse, however, came storming right back with a 12-0 run that gave them their first lead of the game at 48-44. Luther led by as many as five points midway through the half, and the game was back-and-forth from there.
Junior Carter Sievers scored five straight points for the Beavers to give them the lead back at 58-57. That was the first of three lead changes down the stretch before the game was eventually tied 61-61 after a pair of Luther free-throws with 2:38 left. Sievers again gave BVU the lead with a tough jumper in the paint, and the Beavers later had a chance to make it a two possession game after a pair of missed free-throws by the Norse with just over 90 seconds to play. Luther, however, eventually pulled even at 63-63 with just over 35 seconds left in regulation after sinking a pair of free-throws.
Buena Vista brought the ball across half court and called time out. Coming out of the break, they ran the clock down and Sievers would throw a spot-on cross court pass to an open Bryte from in front of the Beaver bench, and he drilled the shot for the 66-63 lead. Luther came racing down but its long distance attempt was off target and over to the Beavers with 0.9 left. Following a timeout, BVU heaved the ball down to midcourt where it was tipped and broken up as time expired and held on for its ninth straight home victory over the Norse.
