MOORHEAD, Minn. -- 12th-ranked MSU Moorhead men's basketball used a relentless defensive effort to put together a scintillating win over Minnesota Crookston on Tuesday evening. The Dragons snapped their two-game losing skid in a 76-49 victory.
While Minnesota Crookston would break the scoring ice, MSUM raced out to 9-4 lead early behind four points from
Ja'Kair Sanchez. That lead would get pushed to nine points midway through the first period thanks to baskets from
Jacob Jennissen and solid defense on the other end. Jennissen collected a blocked shot in that stretch for MSUM, who held Minnesota Crookston to 33.3 percent shooting to that point.
With just under five minutes remaining, MSUM had doubled UMC's score, leading 28-14 as the Dragons distributed their scoring. To that point, seven different Dragons had scored a basket including a massive three-pointer from
Will Kinsey, which got the Dragon bench to its feet. By the end of the first half, MSUM held a comfortable 15-point lead (41-26). The Dragons held the Golden Eagles to 37 percent shooting in the first period as Sanchez led MSUM with nine points. Jennissen added in eight points and four blocked shots.
Jacob Beeninga and
Logan Kinsey turned in an incredible defensive first half as the two were tasked with guarding UMC star (and NSIC scoring leader) Blaize Sagna. Although Beeninga would collect two fouls in the first half, the duo held Sagna to a combined two of 10 shooting and five points.
In the second half, MSUM would only continue to balloon their lead as Kinsey and
Dane Zimmer showed off their scoring ability. Kinsey scored a quick four points to open the half coupled with a Zimmer three to put MSUM up 52-35. The sophomore Kinsey would score five more points by the midway stretch of the second half as the Dragons continued to lead, 64-41. MSUM began the second half shooting 58.8 percent from the field to UMC's 35.3 percent clip.
In the final 10 minutes, MSUM would remain in front by a wide margin with several Dragons getting in on the offensive fun. However, it was the Dragon defensive effort that propelled them towards victory. By game's end, Minnesota Crookston would shoot 33.9 percent as a team and had a tough time stopping the Dragon pick and roll on the other end. Jennissen finished the game with six blocked shots while Beeninga and Kinsey limited Sagna to three of 16 shooting and just seven points. Entering the game this evening, Sagna had averaged close 23 points per game including a 36-point effort against MSUM back in December.
The Dragons would shoot a collective 49.2 percent from the floor in a 76-49 win with the 49 points being the fewest given up by MSUM this season. Kinsey led the scoring with 15 points as Zimmer collected his seventh double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Dragons only trailed for one minute and three seconds in the contest.
All eight Dragons that saw minutes in Tuesday's game scored a basket.
Steve d'Eustachio's Stat of the Game
The Dragons sidestepped their third straight loss with this win tonight and have only had one three-game slide in the past six seasons.
Top Dragons
Up Next
The Dragons (18-3, 12-3 NSIC) eye a road battle with Bemidji State on Saturday with tipoff scheduled for 3 p.m.
