BISMARCK, N.D. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball team traveled to for the first round of the NSIC Sanford Health Tournament, to face the No.14 U-Mary Marauders for a berth in the tournament semifinals, but the Marauders proved their ranking and took the win over the Dragons, 70-65.
The game began slowly as both teams shook off the playoff jitters to post an 8-7 Marauder lead after the first six minutes.
The drought would eventually be ignited by the Dragon's Jake Driscoll caught fire at the 5:20 mark in the first half hitting three consecutive three-pointers to push the Dragons up 31-26.
The Marauder's Jordan Wilhelm kept his team close, going 3-6 in the first half from beyond the arc.
The teams would head into halftime with the Dragons hanging on to a narrow one-point lead, 33-32, after a 6-0 Marauder run to end the half.
Eric Erdmann and Moody would both hit baskets to start the second half, continuing the momentum from the end of the first half, taking a 37-33 U-Mary lead.
The Marauders would continue to build their lead in the second half after Erdmann awoke to post 17 second half points to take their largest lead of ten points with 9:47 remaining.
Charlie Chapman would respond quickly for the Dragons, scoring seven consecutive points and bringing his team within one point, 61-60 with 3:20 to go.
Moody would silence the Dragon surge by hitting a difficult layup in traffic, getting the foul, and adding a free throw, to put the Marauders up 65-60 with just over two minutes on the clock.
Chapman again would breathe life into the Dragons after hitting a quick three-pointer with 1:51 remaining to cut the U-Mary lead to two.
Forced to foul, the Marauder's Moody and Erdmann would convert enough to seal the game for U-Mary and ending a battle in Bismarck, 70-65.
Moody would lead all scorers with 25 points, leading the Dragons would be Chapman with 20.
The Marauders advance to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference semifinals at Corcordia-St. Paul Saturday to face the Huskies from St. Cloud State University.
The Dragons finish their season at 15-12 overall.
