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News
News
BULLDOGS WIN THE BORDER BATTLE; TIP UWS 81-76 IN OVERTIME
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The last time the University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team met with University of Wisconsin Superior back on December 14, 1999, the Bulldogs won 82-68.
Tuesday night wasn't as easy.
In UMD's home opener, the Bulldogs rallied from behind to come back and defeat Division III affiliate, UWS 81-76 in overtime, in front of a raucous crowd of nearly 1,200 fans at Romano Gymnasium.
The Bulldogs (4-2) and Yellowjackets (1-2) traded punches all night long, as UMD out-rebounded UWS 60-29, while they collected more assists and shot a higher percentage from the field. However, the Yellowjackets committed just three turnovers all night, compared to the Bulldogs 13, while UWS out-shot UMD from the behind the arc and the free-throw line.
The Bulldogs came out of gates slow, as they found themselves down 17-10 when head coach Gary Holquist took his first timeout. The Yellowjackets continued to add to their lead, as they increased the margin to 14 midway through the first half.
UMD then outscored UWS the rest of the frame, as they closed the gap to just eight points, walking into the locker room down 36-28.
The second half was much of the same, as the Bulldogs and Yellowjackets went back-and-forth early on, before senior guard Steve Klass caught fire.
As UWS had a substantial lead partway through the second half, the Seymour, Wis. native knocked down three consecutive 3-pointers to bring UMD back to life.
The Bulldogs finally took their first lead of the game, when UMD's leading-scorer, junior forward Brian Sykora, converted on a 3-point play to give the Bulldogs a 51-50 advantage midway through the second half.
UMD increased their lead to six points with six minutes to go, but the Yellowjackets fought back, as they connected on a pair of 3-pointers and sank a lay-up to take a 66-64 advantage with just two minutes remaining.
The Bulldogs answered back to tie up the score, as UWS missed a game-winning 3-pointer as time expired, sending the game into overtime.
The extra frame started slow, but Klass got UMD on the board first, as he hit one of his game-high six 3-pointers to put the Bulldogs in front. As the Yellowjackets started to run out of gas, freshman point guard Ryan Rasmussen sank a shot from downtown to take the wind out of their sails, putting UMD up six points with a minute to go. Down the stretch, the Bulldogs burried 7-of-10 shots from the charity stripe in overtime to secure the victory.
UMD was led by Klass, who poured in a career-high 30 points on the night - 20 of which came in the second half and overtime - while the captain snagged seven rebounds and added three assists. In the team-high 42 minutes that he logged on the floor, Klass shot an eye-popping 53 percent from the field and 43 percent from behind the arc, while he was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Sykora had nothing short of a stellar evening, as the captain secured a double-double by scoring 22 points and grabbing a game-high 17 rebounds in the win. The Bloomington, Minn. native added three assists and blocked a shot, while he shot an impressive 50 percent from the floor and was 6-of-7 from the charity stripe.
Fellow captain, senior center John Vaudreuil, also posted a double-double as he racked up 11 points and ripped down 15 rebounds on the night. The native of Bloomington, Minn. also guided UMD to the comeback by dishing out a pair of helpers, recording a steal and blocking a shot in the non-conference victory.
Junior forward Steve Duncan handed out a game-high eight assists, scored seven points, gathered six rebounds and added two blocks and steal, while Rasmussen scored nine points - including a clutch triple with just a minute left - collected four rebounds, added a pair of assists and a steal on the night.
The Bulldogs will now hit the road as they are set to take part in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Holiday Hoops Fest this weekend in Sioux Falls, S.D. UMD is scheduled to clash with Northern State (S.D.) Saturday afternoon (Nov. 29) at 2:00 p.m., while they are set to tango with Wayne State (Neb.) the following Sunday evening (Nov. 30) at 8:00 p.m.
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