Bellevue College men’s basketball fell in overtime 110-106 in a high-scoring thriller that saw Bellevue hold a narrow lead in the first half before the Rangers rallied late. Up 51-47 at halftime, the ‘dogs pushed the lead to double digits at 62-51 on a three-pointer by Marcus Cole with 17:12 to go. The Bulldogs would go on a cold streak, scoring only four points in the next six minutes. Olympic took advantage and crept back into it and tied the game up at 66 with a little over 10 minutes to go in regulation.
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After staying tight for the remainder of the game, Bellevue’s Logan Stempniak made two clutch free throws with 40 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 93-92 lead. The Rangers answered with two free throws. Olympic would surge ahead by three until BC’s Josiah Johnson, who was fouled on a last second attempt was awarded three shots from the line and nailed all of them to tie the game and send it into overtime.
In overtime, Olympic’s Cooper Frith paced the Rangers to the win with nine of the team’s 14 points. He scored Olympic’s first five points and made both free throws as time expired to seal the win.
Stempniak and Johnson were a two-man wrecking crew for the ‘dogs tonight. Stempniak finished with 33 points, seven rebounds, and five steals while Johnson poured in 22. Jeremiah Hersrud chipped in 19.
Bellevue is 3-5 in North Region play and 14-9 overall. They travel to Everett this Sat. Feb. 10 for a 4 p.m. matchup.
Last Updated February 7, 2024
