News

BULLDOGS LET LEAD SLIP AWAY; FALL TO NO. 4 MOCCASINS 77-69 IN TITLE MATCH

Sunday, November 9, 2008

The game's not over until the final whistle.

That's what the University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team discovered Sunday evening as they led their lead collapse before losing 77-69 to No.4-ranked Florida Southern in the Group Sportsmanship Division title match at the Division II Disney East Coast Tip-Off Classic.

In a match that featured a pair of the hottest teams on the weekend, including Division II powerhouse and fourth-ranked Florida Southern, each squad battled back-and-fourth early on until UMD pulled ahead midway through the first half.

UMD (2-1) used their size and strength to overpower Florida Southern on the glass, as they out-rebounded the Moccasins 23-8; leading to easy-scoring chance for the Bulldogs as they piled in 22 points in the paint compared to Florida Southern's eight.

UMD used an impressive 18-2 run to expand their lead to 16 during the first half, before walking into the locker room with a 40-29 advantage at the break.

But the Bulldogs found out that the game doesn't end after just one half.

Midway through the second half UMD led by nine, as the Moccasins finally broke through, scoring 18 of the next 22 points and giving them a 65-60 lead with just a few minutes left on the clock.

The Bulldogs tightened the lead to three, but couldn't get any closer, as Florida Southern went onto the victory. UMD held their heads high as they earned a runner-up finish in tournament field consisting on some of the nation's top programs.

The Bulldogs were led by last year All-North Central Conference pick, junior forward Brian Sykora, who paced UMD in both points and rebounds. The Bloomington, Minn. native and Bulldog captain poured in 18 points, while he grabbed nine rebounds and added a pair of assists on the evening.

Freshman guard Ryan Rasmussen came off the bench to add 13 points and four helpers, as he shot 4-of-8 from the floor, including a perfect night from the charity stripe.

Senior center John Vaudreuil collected nine points and a pair of rebounds, while junior forward Ron White continued to impress, as he racked up nine points, three rebounds and two assists in the title loss.

In total, the Bulldogs shot an impressive 80 percent from the free-throw line, 41 percent from the field, but just a dismal nine percent from behind the arc.

UMD will now travel home as they are set hit the hardwood again next Sunday (Nov. 16) against Northern Michigan at 11:00 a.m. (CST) in Marquette, Mich.

Return to all news.