HOUSTON, TX. - Belhaven's historic season came to a hard-fought conclusion Friday night as the Blazers battled No. 3 ranked St. Thomas (TX) into overtime before falling 69-63 in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. The appearance marked the first NCAA Tournament game in program history for Belhaven.  

The Blazers erased multiple second-half deficits and forced overtime in the closing seconds before the nationally ranked Celts pulled away in the extra period.

The game opened with both teams trading early baskets before Belhaven seized early momentum behind its perimeter shooting.

After Reyce Allen and Corey Thompson helped St. Thomas jump out to a 4-2 lead, CJ Minton responded with consecutive three-pointers to give the Blazers an 8-4 advantage. Dan Robinson added a tip-in and later knocked down back-to-back threes during a strong stretch that pushed Belhaven ahead 16-8 midway through the half.

St. Thomas began to claw back behind Nicholas Buffalo and Thompson, who each converted baskets inside to trim the margin. Buffalo's dunk at the 6:04 mark cut the deficit to three before Neal Terry answered with a pair of finishes in the paint to steady the Blazers.

Belhaven continued to build its lead with balanced scoring. DJ Jones buried a transition three and later added a layup following an offensive rebound to stretch the margin to eight.

Late in the half, the Celts rallied behind Allen and Nathan Kongolo. Free throws from Kongolo and a fast-break layup from Buffalo briefly gave St. Thomas a one-point edge.

Belhaven regained the lead before the break, however, as Benjamin Stewart converted a jumper with just over a minute remaining to send the Blazers into halftime with a 32-31 advantage.

The second half turned into a back-and-forth battle.

St. Thomas opened with a basket from Charles Gitonga to briefly take the lead, but Charleston Wallace answered immediately with a jumper in the paint to put Belhaven back in front.

Both teams traded runs throughout the period. Robinson scored inside and Dyllion Redmond added back-to-back baskets to help the Blazers maintain a narrow advantage midway through the half.

The Celts answered behind Buffalo and Kongolo. Buffalo converted a fast-break layup to cut the margin to one before Brennan Webb knocked down a three-pointer that gave St. Thomas a 50-49 lead.

Belhaven responded once again. Terry finished inside and Minton drilled a three with just under 11 minutes remaining to push the Blazers ahead 47-42 during one of the game's biggest stretches.

St. Thomas continued to apply pressure down the stretch. Thompson converted a three-point play and Allen added a layup to give the Celts a late four-point advantage.

With time winding down, Belhaven mounted one final push. Minton knocked down a jumper to cut the deficit to two before Robinson tied the game at 58-58 with a clutch jumper in the final 30 seconds.

Allen missed a potential game-winning layup, giving the Blazers the ball back with the shot clock turned off. Dan Robinson made an acrobatic three-point shot as time expired, however, the ball was still in his hands at the buzzer, forcing the game to overtime.

St. Thomas gained control early in the extra period. Kongolo opened overtime with a jumper before Thompson connected on a three-pointer to give the Celts a five-point cushion.

Belhaven continued to battle as Robinson knocked down two free throws to cut the deficit to three with just over a minute remaining.

However, the Celts sealed the outcome in the final moments. Kongolo converted two free throws before Allen threw down a late dunk to extend the lead and secure the 69-63 victory.

The loss brings to a close a remarkable year for the Blazers. Belhaven finished the season 16-13 overall and captured its first CCS Tournament Championship in program history before advancing to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time.

The postseason run capped one of the most successful seasons the program has ever seen and marked a significant milestone as Belhaven reached the national stage for the first time.

For the latest news on Belhaven Blazers athletics, follow @BelhavenBlazers on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. To support Belhaven Athletics check out Team Green Giving.