Junior Brendon Pineda continued to impress in his first season with the Bulldogs, knocking down a buzzer-beating lay-up to give the University of Minnesota Duluth a 68-67 road victory over Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri on Saturday afternoon.

UMD (2-0) takes home a pair of NCAA II regional victories from their trip to the SBU Classic, while the host Bearcats fall to 0-2 on the season.

TOP SCORERS
• Junior guard Taylor Lavery had 26 points, netting 14-of-15 free throws, to lead both teams. Senior center Brett Ervin added 15 points, and Pineda's buzzer beater earned him nine points on the night. Pineda and Lavery led the way for UMD with six rebounds each.
• SBU senior guard Menas Stephens scored a double-double to lead the Bearcats with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward David Gabroseck and junior guard Daymond Colah also hit double digits scoring with 13 points for Southwest Baptist.

Cowlah scored the game's opening basket as the Bearcats built up an early lead, extending it to as much as nine in the first half at 23-14 thanks to a three-pointer by Quinton Smith. UMD chipped away with free throws by Lavery and Erivn, and a three-pointer by junior guard Pierre Newton brough the Bulldogs back within four with just over 6:30 remaining in the first half. Lavery was fouled twice in the coming minute, netting UMD three more points, and sophomore guard Justin Byrd swiped the ball for a fast-break lay-up and a tie score with just over five minutes until the break. The teams would trade points the rest of the half but UMD took a one-point lead into the break.

Pineda put UMD up three with a jumper out of the locker room, and the Bulldogs would build a lead of eight just over three minutes into the second half. By the midpoint of the frame, SBU had chipped away and UMD led by just three at a media timeout. The Bearcats tied the score on a Gabrovsek three with 6:05 to go. "We had to battle. Southwest did some things that obviously bothered us this early in the year," said Matt Bowen as the team was forced to hold tight in the late minutes of the game. UMD scored enough down the stretch to keep the game within reach, fouling Southwest in the closing minutes and taking a one-point deficit to the final possesion with 16 seconds on the clock before Pineda laid in the gamewinner to give the Bulldogs a win.

"We're fortunate to have a learning experience without losing," said Bowen. "It's a nice character-building win. It's hard to win on the road. As well as we played Firday, we obviously did not do as well tonight, but well enough to win. At the end of the day, they all count the same."

UP NEXT
UMD will not have long to soak up a pair of season-opening victories as the Bulldogs return to the court Tuesday night when they play host to the University of Wisconsin-Superior in the annual Border Battle at Romano Gym. Opening tip is set for 8:00 p.m. as part two of a doubleheader following the women's game.