MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead men's basketball team dropped a 92-71 decision to No. 17 Minnesota Duluth in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday at Nemzek Fieldhouse in Moorhead.
 
MSUM fell to 9-7 overall and 4-3 in the NSIC with the loss while UMD improved to 13-0 overall and 7-0 in the league.
 
Junior guard Bryce Irsfeld led MSUM with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting and also had a team-best five assists.  Junior guard Gavin Baumgartner chipped in with 12. Sophomore forward Dane Zimmer added six rebounds while Irsfeld had two steals.
 
UMD shot 55 percent (33-of-60) for the game compared to 42.1 percent (24-of-57) for the Dragons.  The Bulldogs had a 36-27 edge in rebounds.
 
MSUM led 6-3 early after three Baumgartner free throws but UMD went on a 17-4 run to build a 20-10 lead, one the Bulldogs would not relinquish.
 
The Bulldogs led 48-31 at halftime.  MSUM shot just 31 percent (9-of-29) in the first half compared to 54.5 percent (18-of-33) for the Bulldogs. Irsfeld had eight first-half points while junior forward Siman Sem had six.
 
The Dragons were just 1-of-8 from three-point range in the first half as well but were a perfect 12-of-12 at the foul line.
 
Sem and Zimmer had eight points each for MSUM.
 
MSUM is off until Jan. 2 when it plays at Northern State.
 
Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game
Tonight's setback was the first to a Minnesota-based team since the beginning of last season, snapping a 13-game winning streak.