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BULLDOG MEN TIP WAYNE STATE 82-72 FRIDAY

Friday, January 2, 2009

Rice Auditorium in Wayne, Neb, is no easy place to win a basketball game, but that's exactly what the University of Minnesota Duluth men did Friday night.

In front of a raucous crowd at the home of Wayne State College the Bulldogs used their size and strength down low to knock off the Wildcats 82-72 in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference thriller.

UMD (10-5 overall; 4-1 NSIC) trailed Wayne State (5-6; 1-3) 34-31 at intermission, but used a couple of timely baskets and some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch to pull out the win. For the night, the Bulldogs  shot higher percentages from the floor, free throw line and beyond the arc than the host club, and also collected more assists, blocked more shots, nabbed more steals and committed fewer turnover.

Like they have been doing most of the season, UMD head coach Gary Holquist and the Bulldogs received substantial production from its two team captains down low.

Senior center John Vaudreuil colected another double-double, as the big man racked up 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. He also handed out six assists and shot a solid 58 percent (7-of-12) from the field, while he knocked down six of his nine shots from the free-throw line.

Junior forward Brian Sykora also put up big numbers in Nebraska, as he piled up 18 points and snagged eight boards in the win. The Bloomington, Minn. product played a key role in the waning minutes  for UMD, as he sank 42 percent (5-of-12) of his attempts from the floor and didn't miss a single shot from the charity stripe the entire night.

Also providing offensive production was junior guard/forward Ron White, who tallied 15 points, three rebounds and a pair of helpers, while junior forward Steve Duncan served as a spark off the bench, by collecting 10 points, two boards and a pair of assists in the win.

In terms of guard play, senior Steve Klass, junior Jordan Schade and sophomore Rhett McDonald dispatched the other 19 points for the Bulldogs, as they sank all four of UMD's three-pointers, while dishing out six assists.

The Bulldogs won't get to celebrate for long, as they are now back on the road to Sioux Falls, S.D. to clash with No. 24 Augustana College (9-2; 3-1) - another highly-talented NSIC squad - on Saturday (Jan. 3) at 8:00 p.m.

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