HOUSTON — Belhaven’s historic season concluded Friday night with a 69-63 overtime loss to No. 3 St. Thomas (Texas) in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. The game marked the Blazers’ first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
Belhaven erased multiple second-half deficits and forced overtime with a late-game rally. The game opened with both teams trading baskets, but Belhaven gained early momentum behind its perimeter shooting. Reyce Allen and Corey Thompson helped St. Thomas jump to a 4-2 lead, but CJ Minton responded with back-to-back three-pointers to put the Blazers ahead 8-4.
Dan Robinson added a tip-in and later made consecutive threes during a stretch that gave Belhaven a 16-8 lead midway through the first half. St. Thomas chipped away, with Nicholas Buffalo and Thompson scoring inside to narrow the margin. Buffalo’s dunk at the 6:04 mark cut the deficit to three, but Neal Terry answered with finishes in the paint to keep Belhaven ahead.
Late in the half, the Celts rallied with baskets from Allen and Nathan Kongolo. Free throws from Kongolo and a fast-break layup from Buffalo briefly gave St. Thomas a one-point lead. Benjamin Stewart’s jumper and a late bucket from Robinson put Belhaven ahead 32-31 at halftime.
The second half was a back-and-forth battle. St. Thomas opened with a basket from Charles Gitonga, but Charleston Wallace responded with a jumper. Both teams exchanged runs, with Robinson and Dyllion Redmond helping Belhaven maintain a narrow lead midway through the period. Buffalo and Kongolo answered for the Celts, with Buffalo’s fast-break layup and Brennan Webb’s three giving St. Thomas a 50-49 lead.
Belhaven responded with a run of its own. Neal Terry scored inside, and Minton drilled a three with under 11 minutes remaining to push the Blazers ahead 47-42. Down the stretch, Thompson scored a three-point play and Allen added a layup to give the Celts a late four-point lead. The Blazers fought back, with Minton and Robinson making key shots to tie the game at 58-58 in the final seconds.
Robinson’s game-tying jumper was followed by a missed layup from Allen, which set up Robinson’s last-second three that sent the game into overtime. In the extra period, St. Thomas took control early. Kongolo and Thompson scored early baskets to give the Celts a five-point cushion. Belhaven rallied, with Robinson making two free throws and Robinson tying the game at 58-58 with a clutch jumper, but the Celts sealed the win with late free throws and a dunk from Allen.
The loss ends a breakthrough season for Belhaven, which finished 16-13 overall. The team captured its first CCS Tournament Championship and made its NCAA debut, marking the program’s most successful season and first appearance on the national stage.
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