MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball team fell to Minot State University, 87-62, in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Friday night.
The Dragons fell to 4-11 overall and 2-7 in NSIC play, while Minot State improved to 14-1, 8-1 NSIC.
Junior guard
Travaun Coad recorded his second career double double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Coad also added three assists and one steal. Sophomores
Johnny Beeninga and
Matt Anderson each scored 11 points for the Dragons.
Briton Bussman recorded nine points, while senior guard
Tanner Kretchman had eight points and one assist.
Addison Park added six points and four rebounds to the Dragons efforts.
MSUM shot 38.9 percent from the field (21-of-54) compared to Minot State at 52.4 percent (33-of-63). The Beavers held a 36-29 edge in rebounds over the Dragons.
The Dragons started out the game on a 6-2 run to hold a four-point lead over the Beavers. However, Minot State would soon tie the game, 8-8, at the 16:18 minute mark and began to build its lead from there.
The Beavers held a 21-point lead over the Dragons with just over five minutes to play in the first half, when MSUM went on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 15 points. Minot State would answer back with two three-pointers by David Akibo to lead 49-28 going into halftime.
Minot State continued to build on its halftime lead, holding as much as a 33-point lead with 7:33 left to play. The Dragons would outscore the Beavers 15-7 over the next four minutes to cut the lead to 25. Although Minot State only outscored the Dragons 38-34 in the second half, MSUM was unable to comeback from the first half deficit, falling 87-62 to the Beavers.
MSUM will host the University of Mary on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Tonight was just the third time that the Dragons have gotten swept in a two-game regular season matchup since the beginning of the 2011-2012 season. The only other occasions happened when Northern State did it this season and in the 2012-2013 campaign.
