MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead freshman point guard
Carson Johnson exploded for a career-high 42 points, including eight three-pointers, to help lead Dragon men's basketball to victory. MSUM defeated St. Cloud State in double overtime, 104-98.
Johnson's scoring output is the sixth-highest point tally in a single game in MSUM history. The frosh's eight made three-pointers is the second-best single-game total in the history of the program.
First Half
The Dragons would come out of the game blazing from the field with all three of MSUM's first three field goals coming on long range shots.
Logan Kinsey connected on a pair of threes before Johnson nailed his first of the night. From there, St. Cloud State would control the scoreboard for a majority of the half, leading by as many as 10 points. However, MSUM would continue to connect at a high rate on the offensive end to conclude the first half. Johnson,
Jacob Jennissen and
Will Kinsey would all drain three-pointers to cut the St. Cloud State lead to four points at the break.
Johnson scored 16 points in the first 20 minutes as MSUM trailed, 48-44. Kinsey added in 10 points for the Dragons, who shot an impressive 56 percent from the floor in the first half. Not to be outdone, St. Cloud State would convert at a whopping 65.5 percent rate in the first half to retain the lead.
Second Half
While another three from Jennissen would cut the Husky lead to one point early in the second half, St. Cloud State would rebuild their lead back to 10 points with just over 15 minutes to play. Trailing by eight, MSUM would go on an 8-0 burst, courtesy of Jennissen and Baseline Billy himself. Kinsey would swish home a pair of corner triples to put the count at 64-62 midway through the half.
St. Cloud State would prove to be a formidable opponent all evening, however, rebuilding their lead back to nine points with six minutes to play in the contest. Johnson would take the game over from there, bringing the Dragons back with seven points in three minutes. The spark tied the contest at 79 points with just under two minutes to play. Neither team would be able to convert throughout the remainder of regulation with the game going into overtime tied at 79 points. Johnson had 29 points for MSUM after 40 minutes of play.
Overtime
While St. Cloud State would jump up by four points in overtime, the Dragons rallied again. This time, it was
Logan Kinsey leading the charge, tying the game at 88 points with 26 seconds left in the first overtime. Tied at 88, the teams would play another five minutes of free basketball.
Johnson would firmly stamp his impression on the game in the second overtime, scoring MSUM's first eight points of the session. Of those eight points, six of them came off three-pointers. A layup from
Shaun Wysocki with a minute to play gave the Dragons a five-point lead heading into the home stretch. While the Huskies would come as close as three points, MSUM would close the game down with crucial free throw makes. The Dragons would hang on in an NSIC classic, 104-98.
Top Dragons
Steve d'Eustachio's Stat of the Game
The last time the Dragons won at home in double overtime was their 76-75 win over Colorado State Pueblo on November 27. 2004.
Up Next
MSUM (14-8, 9-7 NSIC) will take to the road next week for a Wednesday night matchup against Minot State. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.
