MOORHEAD, Minn. – Minnesota State University Moorhead (9-2, 5-1 NSIC) lost its first conference game of the season on Saturday night in double overtime to Northern State (8-4, 4-2 NSIC), 118-117. Junior guard Tanner Kretchman scored a career-high 41 points for the Dragons.
 
How it happened…
The Dragons jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead, but much like the rest of the game the Wolves used a run of their own to tie the game at 16-16 with 11:13 left in the first half. MSUM went on a 9-0 run to go ahead 27-16, and went into the locker room with a 39-34 lead. Kretchman was the leading scorer in the first half for MSUM with 17 points. The Dragons shot 14-of-31 (45.2 percent) from the field, while the visiting Wolves shot 11-of-29 (37.9 percent).
 
The game never got to more than a four point lead for MSUM until 12:30 on the clock when Kretchman hit a pair of free throws giving the Dragons a 56-50 lead. Northern State used a 14-8 run to once again tie the game with 10:08 remaining at 64-64. Northern State then grabbed its first lead of the game since 12:20 in the first half, up 71-66 with 8:28 remaining. A three-pointer and a pair of free throws from Kretchman saw the game knotted right back up at 71-71. MSUM couldn't manage to push its lead to more than three for the remainder of the half. Tied at 91-91 with 11 seconds remaining Kretchman drove the lane but couldn't make a heavily contested layup as time ran out.
 
In the first overtime period the largest lead for either team was a three point advantage for MSUM, 98-95, with 1:58 left in the period. Both teams spent much of the overtime at the free-throw line, and with MSUM up 103-101 with under thirty second remaining, Northern State's DJ Pollard tied the game up with a layup. As time wound down in the first overtime period freshman guard Johnny Beeninga missed a three-pointer, and the teams readied for a second overtime.
 
NSU made a layup to start the scoring in the final overtime period, but a layup from sophomore forward Addison Park knotted the game right back up at 105-105 with 4:07 on the clock. The Wolves pushed their lead to three, but three-point baskets from Kretchman and senior guard Aaron Lien gave MSUM a 113-110 lead with 2:31 remaining. Lien then hit two free-throws to go up 115-110, but a quick three at the other end brought the game within two. Park hit a layup at the other end, but another three from the wolves saw the score at 117-116 with 55 seconds remaining. Northern State had the ball as the clock was winding down, and after a missed shot from the Wolves a foul was called on the rebound on Lien and DJ Pollard made both free throws to secure the win, and the first conference loss for MSUM 118-117.
 
Impact Performances…
Junior guard Tanner Kretchman scored a career-high 41 points, obliterating his previous career-high of 25 points set last year against U-Mary. Kretchman was 11-of-20 from the field, including 7-of-11 from beyond the arc and 12-of-15 at the free throw line. He finished with eight assists to two turnovers.
 
Senior guard Aaron Lien also registered a career-high with 36 points. Lien finished the contest 12-of-20 from the field, with seven rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal.
 
Freshman forward Matt Anderson scored 15 points for the Dragons, hauled in six rebounds and was 7-of-10 at the free throw line.
 
Steve D'eustachio Stat of the Game…
Tanner Kretchman's 41 points is the first time that a Dragon has scored at least 40 points in a single game since Greg Duke scored 40 in a 93-81 home loss to Southwest Minnesota State on Feb. 19, 1997.
 
Up next…
The Dragons host Mayville State in a non-conference matchup on Monday, Dec. 19. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.