ABERDEEN, S.D. – Minnesota State University Moorhead (5-1) let a late lead slip away, but junior guard Tanner Kretchman hit a game-winning three to lift MSUM past Northern State, 93-92, in the Dragon's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference opener on Saturday night. Senior guard Aaron Lien led all Dragons with 28 points.
 



How it happened…
Much like the same fashion he ended the game with, Kretchman opened the game with a three-pointer sparking an opening half which saw the Dragons lead for the entirety. MSUM shot well in the first half building a 17 point lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in the contest, up 27-10. The Dragons managed to stretch the lead to 23 points, 47-24, but entered halftime up 47-30. Lien had a big first half for the Dragons with 18 points off 6-of-10 from the field. MSUM shot 44.1 percent from the field in the first half, while holding Northern State to just 33.3 percent from the field. The Dragons had a slight edge in points in the paint (12-8) and bench points (11-9) over the Wolves.
 
Northern State came out of the half with a touch not seen in the first half. The Wolves used 71.4 percent shooting in the second half to scratch their way from a 17-point deficit to a two-point lead with 2.4 seconds left in the game. Northern State's Mack Arvidson was a big reason why the Wolves were able to climb back into the game. His 28 second half points, including a go-ahead three with 2.4 seconds on the clock, brought Northern State within seconds of a comeback win, but Kretchman would have the final say. After missing two free throw attempts, which led to an Arvidson go-ahead three, Kretchman caught the ball on an inbounds play out of a MSUM called timeout, and dribbled inside the half-court line and drilled the game winner as time expired. Kretchman and Lien each had 10 second half points for the Dragons.
 
MSUM shot 50.0 percent (15-of-30) from the field in the second half, and finished the game with a slight edge in rebounds 36-35, and totaled 14 assists to nine turnovers.
 
Impact Performances…
Senior guard Aaron Lien had a team-high 28 points in the contest, shooting 9-of-17 from the field. Lien went 8-for-10 from the charity stripe, while hauling in five rebounds with four assists.
 
Junior guard Tanner Kretchman finished the contest with 19 points, including the game winner, on 6-of-14 from the field. He totaled three rebounds, with a 5.00 assist-to-turnover ratio (5 assists, 1 turnover).
 
Redshirt freshman Matt Anderson added 17 for the Dragons off the bench. Anderson shot 60.0 percent (6-of-10) from the field and hauled in five rebounds.
 
Senior forward Ayob Ayob had a team-high eight rebounds, while tallying 11 points.
 
Dragon Quick Hit…
The Dragons have now won three games in a row at Northern State. The only other team to currently hold this long of a winning streak at the Barnett Center is the University of Minnesota Duluth.
 
Up Next…
MSUM has its home opener, and continues NSIC play on Dec. 2 in Nemzek Fieldhouse as it hosts U-Mary. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m.