MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragon men's basketball team received some offense from their bench to edge out a tough win over the Augustana College Vikings (S.D.) 64-61 Saturday night at Alex Nemzek Hall.
Augustana came into the game with a 3-2 record against NSIC opponents and MSU Moorhead sat at 2-2 after Friday's loss to Wayne State College (Neb.).
The first five minutes of the game was a back and fourth battle, but the Dragons would eventually break open a seven-point lead after
Andrew VanHavermaet drained a three-pointer from
Jake Driscoll's assist.
VanHavermaet was just getting warmed up as he hit three more three-pointers to record 14 first half points, including two big shots at the end of the half to build the Dragon lead to 11. A late jumper by Augustana's Cody Schilling cut MSU Moorhead's lead to nine heading into halftime 35-26.
Schilling would lead the charge for the Vikings in the second half with an early bucket cut the Dragon lead to seven. The Vikings would eventually take the lead back on a Trevor Hass three-pointer with 11:45 left in the game.
The Dragons would eventually answer back and take a six-point lead after a thundering dunk from
Alex Novak with 3:45 left in the game.
Free throws would keep the Vikings close after Schilling notched four straight points from the charity stripe to bring Dragon lead down to just two points with 29 seconds left.
VanHavermaet would make one of two free throws to put the Dragons up three, but Cameron McCaffrey would hit a baseline jumper to get the Vikings within one point with 17 seconds on the clock.
A quick foul put
Chad Thompson on the free throw line, and he would make both to take a three-point lead 15 seconds left. Schilling would get one more contested look for a game-tying three pointer, but come up short and Novak would pull down his thirteenth and final rebound of the game.
The Dragon men advance to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play. They continue NSIC play on New Years Day at Minnesota State University-Mankato at 6 p.m., and travel to Southwest Minnesota State University on Saturday Jan. 2 at 5 p.m.
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