FAYETTE, Iowa – The No. 4-ranked Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball team extended its winning streak to 15 games with a 105-85 rout of Upper Iowa in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play Saturday evening in Iowa.
MSUM is now 15-1 overall on the season and 7-0 in the NSIC while Upper Iowa is 6-10 overall and 2-5 in conference play.
Senior center Isaac Sevlie had a monster second half and led the Dragons with 23 points and a career-high four steals, while junior forward Ayob Ayob posted a career-high 19 points. Senior guard Ngijol Songolo and sophomore guard Tanner Kretchman had 17 apiece. Junior forward Aaron Lien added 16 points and nine rebounds while senior guard Tyler Vaughan had 11 points to give MSUM six players in double figures. The Dragons shot 56 percent (36-of-64) from the field and 40 percent (11-of-27) from three-point range. MSUM outrebounded the Peacocks 38-25 and received 21 points from the bench compared to 15 from Upper Iowa.
The Dragons took an early 5-2 lead on an offensive rebound from Kretchman before he kicked it out to Songolo for the triple. The Peacocks had the lead briefly, but a jumper from Lien with 11 minutes remaining in the first gave the Dragons a 23-22 lead from which they wouldn't relinquish. The men took at 58-43 lead into the half.
MSUM's double-digit lead shrunk to 66-64 with 13:23 left, but a 14-0 run over the next 2:30 to extend the advantage back to 80-64.
Sevlie, who was held to just four points in the first half, came out on fire scoring nine of 13 points on a Dragon run and ended the contest with 23. Sevlie collected his fourth steal on the evening and threw it up to Songolo and the two gave the Dragons a 105-82 lead with just under two minutes to go.
The Dragons are back in action tomorrow afternoon with a game at Winona State. The conference matchup will be played at 4 p.m.
Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: The 105 points scored by the Dragons marks the first time that the Dragons have hit the century mark on the road in the NSIC since winning 101-98 at Southwest Minn. St. on Feb. 21, 1996.
