Box Score
MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Three Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball players scored in double figures to help the Dragons beat Minnesota-Crookston, 71-66 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Friday night at Alex Nemzek Hall in Moorhead, Minn.
The Dragons improved to 11-1 overall and 5-1 in the NSIC with their sixth straight win, while UMC fell to 3-7 overall and 0-6 in the league.
Senior
Anthony Tucker paced MSUM with 21 points, while senior
Alex Novak added 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Freshman
Tyler Vaughan had 14 points on 4-of-8 three-point shooting for MSUM. Sophomore
Jordan Riewer set a career-high with seven assists.
A 16-7 second-half run proved decisive for MSUM. The Golden Eagles had climbed within 48-46 with 11:10 left before the Dragons went on a the run to stretch the lead to 64-53 with 6:11 left. Senior
Eric Olson had five points -- including a three-point play -- during that stretch, while Tucker had four points.
MSUM led 69-60 with a half-minute left, but a pair of threes brought Crookston within 69-66 with 11 seconds left. Riewer iced the game for the Dragons with a pair of free throws with eight seconds left.
The Dragons faced a 23-18 deficit with 6:30 left in the first half before closing the frame on a 10-2 run to take a 28-25 lead into halftime. Freshman
Brady Wohler propelled the run with back-to-back threes, while Tucker also drained a three late.
MSUM shot 52.2 percent (24-of-46) from the field compared to 43.5 percent (27-of-62) for the Golden Eagles.
Olson continued his solid play off the bench for MSUM with nine points and four rebounds. Tucker had three steals while Riewer had two. Wohler had three assists.
MSUM plays host to Bemidji State on Saturday at 6 p.m. to wrap up its five-game homestand. The Dragons are 4-0 so far on the homestand.
Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Since joining the NSIC, Minnesota Crookston is just 11-111 in league games away from home. The most success they've had on the road has been in Moorhead. The Golden Eagles have won four games at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse since 1999, two more wins than any other venue.
