The Montana State University-Northern Lights put together a strong first half and battled until the final minutes, but Bushnell University rallied in the second half to earn an 85-80 victory Saturday afternoon in Great Falls.
Northern held a 46-40 advantage at halftime after an impressive offensive performance in the opening 20 minutes. The Lights shot 69.6 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from three-point range in the first half, building a lead behind efficient shooting and balanced scoring.
Luke Holecek led the way for Northern with a game-high 34 points, finishing 12-of-19 from the floor and adding five rebounds and four assists.
Austin Ramos contributed 20 points, including six three-pointers, while
Tracen Jilot added 15 points off the bench.
Bushnell answered in the second half, outscoring the Lights 45-34 to take the five-point win. The Beacons shot 56 percent from the field after halftime and converted 16 of 19 free throws to help secure the comeback.
Northern finished the afternoon shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Lights connected on 10 three-pointers and received 20 points from their bench.
Bushnell was led by Kaleb Burnett with 25 points and five rebounds. Keenan Reckamp added 13 points, while Keshawn Lewis and Drew Groenig each finished with 10.
The Lights move to 1-1 on the season following the contest.
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