PUEBLO, Colo. – Thanks, in part, to a late offensive surge and a returning
Gavin Baumgartner, MSUM was able to stifle a high-powered CSU Pueblo team 70-63 Friday night. The contest was MSUM's first game as part of the CSU Pueblo Thanksgiving Classic.
Neither team could separate from one another in the early going. A
Jacob Beeninga three gave the Dragons their first lead of the contest, which was quickly matched by CSU Pueblo. Both teams would trade baskets with the two teams tied with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half. A mini four to zero run courtesy of
Lorenzo McGhee gave the Dragons a five-point advantage with under seven minutes remaining. McGhee would score six points in the first half.
It was the MSUM defensive effort that continued to keep the ThunderWolves at bay. The Dragons held CSU Pueblo without a basket for nearly five minutes en route to a 11-0 Dragon run as time dwindled in the first half. The ThunderWolves would snap that and hold MSUM without a field goal for over three minutes.
MSUM would finish two for nine to close the half, but a
Jaden Stanley-Williams buzzer beater would give the Dragons momentum heading into the locker room. The running three-pointer as time expired gave the Dragons a 34-25 halftime lead.
Jacob Beeninga led the Dragons in the first half with 10 points with Stanley-Williams adding six points. MSUM shot 44.8 percent from the field in the first half.
CSU Pueblo would start the second half aggressively, going on a four to zero run to trim the MSUM lead to five points. The disruptive Dragon defense was able to stifle the ThunderWolves thereafter, pushing their lead back up to nine points. Stanley-Williams scored an early four points to keep MSUM in control. MSUM went over the foul limit with just over eight minutes remaining as CSU Pueblo would attempt to slow the game down by shooting free throws. The ThunderWolves dropped the Dragon lead to just three as crunch time loomed.
A pair of
Dane Zimmer baskets helped keep the Dragons in front as CSU Pueblo had some untimely misses from the charity stripe.
Gavin Baumgartner, who reutrned to the MSUM lineup after missing Tuesday's game, would hoist a three that found the basket to give MSUM an eight-point advantage. The senior would then dish to Zimmer for another dunk which brought the Dragon bench to its feet.
Jacob Beeninga would notch a three on the ensuing possession to push the MSUM lead to nine. Baumgartner would then come off a screen and hit the exclamation point from long range, putting the Dragons in front by 12 with just over two minutes left.
The Dragons would shoot 50 percent in the second half on their way to a convincing 70-63 victory.
Top Dragons
Number Of The Night
CSU Pueblo entered tonight's contest averaging 92.8 points per game. Tonight, MSUM held the ThunderWolves to just 63 points, almost 30 points below their season average.
Up Next
The Dragons will close out play at the CSU Pueblo Thanksgiving Classic tomorrow afternoon from Pueblo, Colo. MSUM will tip-off with New Mexico Highlands at 4 p.m.
