SIOUX FALLS, S.D. --
Jacob Beeninga netted a career-high 36 points for MSU Moorhead in a wild overtime win over the Sioux Falls Cougars on Saturday evening. The Dragons swept the weekend with an 85-80 victory inside the Stewart Center.
Six early points from
Gavin Baumgartner would help the Dragons jump out to an early 13-9 lead. The Cougars would answer that with a 12-2 run of their own to help give them a 21-15 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the first half. To that point, the Dragons shot just 31.6 percent from the floor including a zero for six mark from three. Sioux Falls was paced by their graduate student star, Matt Cartwright, who poured in 17 first half points for the Coo.
Down the stretch,
Gabe Myren would provide some much-needed offensive power for MSUM, cutting the Sioux Falls lead to two points. Myren scored eight points in the half with the Dragons trailing 25-23 with under two minutes remaining. At the break, Sioux Falls led 27-23 as MSUM finished the first 20 minutes shooting zero for seven from long range.
The Dragons would take their first lead in over 10 minutes with just under 15 minutes remaining in the contest.
Lorenzo McGhee converted on an and-one at the basket to put MSUM in front 33-31. McGhee had scored 10 points to that point, but Cartwright continued to keep the Cougars in the basketball game. Midway through the second half, the teams were tied at 41 points apiece. The stellar veteran Cartwright finished with a game-high 45 points.
Jacob Beeninga would go on an individual 8-0 run before the five-minute media timeout to put the Dragons up 54-49. The exclamation point came when the sophomore dished out a pretty pass to
Dane Zimmer, who finished the play with a rim-rattling dunk.
Sioux Falls would knot the game with 15 seconds remaining. Tied at 64, Beeninga drove to the lane and converted on an and-one fallaway jumper, notching the free throw to put the Dragons up 67-64 with four seconds remaining. Matt Cartwright would run down and bank in a deep three-pointer to send the game to overtime. 67 all.
In overtime, the Dragons outscored the Cougars 18-13 to take an 85-80 win home with them. A night after MSUM struggled to close out SMSU at the free throw line, the exact opposite was true tonight. The Dragons were a perfect nine of nine from the charity stripe in the overtime period. In the win, Beeninga etched a new career high of 36 points including 12 made free throws.
Exhale.
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Up Next
The Dragons (15-3, 10-2 NSIC) return home for more cross divisional play, this time against Concordia-St.Paul and Minnesota State Mankato. Tip-off against the Golden Bears is slated for 5:30 p.m. on Friday to kick off the doubleheader weekend.
