Box Score
MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Freshman forward
Aaron Lien scored a career-high 18 points and redshirt freshman
Matt Nelson added a career-high 16 to help the Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball team to an 87-76 win over Northern State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday night in Moorhead, Minn.
MSUM, which wrapped up a five-game homestand, improved to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the NSIC, while the Wolves fell to 5-2 overall and 0-1 in the league.
Lien finished 6-of-9 from the field, including 3-for-3 from three-point range. Nelson was 5-for-8 from the field and added eight rebounds. Senior guard
Tarell Clark had a strong game off the bench with a double-double of 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Junior guard
Jordan Riewer had 10 points and a game-high five assists.
The Dragons had a commanding 49-29 edge in offensive rebounds, including 18-7 on the offensive glass. MSUM shot 42.9 percent (27-of-63) from the field, compared to 40.7 percent (24-of-59) for the Wolves.
Leading 29-28 after a defensive-oriented first half, the Dragons steadily pulled away in the second half. MSU held a 42-41 lead but scored 10 points in a row over the next 2:20 to push the lead to 52-41 with 11:42 left. That run was sparked by Lien, who had eight of the 10 points.
Minutes later, Lien converted a three-point play to give MSUM its largest lead of the night at 68-51. The Wolves cut the lead to eight after hitting some long-range threes but got no closer as the Dragons iced the game from the line.
The Dragons faced a 22-12 deficit with 10:38 left in the first half but used defense to turn the tide. They went on a 12-0 run over the next 6:34 to take a 24-22 lead. MSUM held the Wolves without a point for almost eight minutes during the first half as the Dragons gained the momentum. The Dragons led 29-28 at half-time.
MSUM goes on the road this week for the first time in 2013-14. The Dragons will face the University of Mary at 8 p.m. on Friday in Bismarck, N.D.
Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Tonight marked the first time (in four tries) the Dragons won on Nov. 30 of any year since defeating Valley City State 106-67 in Moorhead in 1993. Kevin Aronson dropped 27 points to help lead the Dragons to victory over the Vikings.
