MARSHALL, Minn. – MSU Moorhead men's basketball struggled on offense and could not muster up enough to get by Southwest Minnesota State on Friday evening. The Mustangs defeated the Dragons, 59-53.
Inside The Game
- The Dragons struggled to get offense going in the first half, missing their first six field goal attempts.
- MSUM did not score its first basket until just about the 13-minute mark in the first half.
- Luckily for the Dragons, SMSU had similar struggles from the floor, but would possess a 15-2 lead midway through the half.
- The Dragons would work the ball down low to get some easy looks and saw both Jacob Jennissen and Adam Jenkins convert to help boost MSUM.
- SMSU would carry a 14-point lead with just over two minutes remaining before Carson Johnson and Levi Birkholz hit threes to make the score 30-20 at the break.
- MSUM shot 31.8 percent from the field in the first half, including two of seven from three-point range.
- The Dragon offense would finally see some life to start the second half as Sam Hastreiter and Shaun Wysocki would drain triples, helping cut the Mustang lead to three points.
- Back-to-back makes from Johnson, followed by free throw makes from Hastreiter gave MSUM its first (and only) lead of the game in 35-34.
- SMSU would respond with a 10-0 run from there to push back in front by eight points midway through the half.
- Hastreiter would help pace an 8-0 Dragon run shortly thereafter to pull back within one point with less than five minutes to go.
- Empty possessions by MSUM would help the Mustangs rebuild their lead back to seven points with 90 seconds to play.
- While the teams would trade free throws down the stretch, SMSU would hang on for the 59-53 win.
- Johnson led the Dragons with 17 points as Hastreiter added 12.
- The last time the Dragons were held to 53 points or fewer in a game was their 47-42 NCAA Central Regional Championship victory over Northwest Missouri State in Sioux Falls, S.D. on March 17, 2015.
- The last time the Dragons were held to 53 points or fewer in an NSIC game was at home in a 64-50 loss to Wayne State on February 25, 2012.
Top Dragons
Up Next
MSUM (10-5, 5-4 NSIC) travels to Sioux Falls, S.D. for a 3:30 p.m. game with USF tomorrow afternoon.
