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News
News
BULLDOG MEN KEEP CRUISING; KNOCK OFF DRAGONS 74-66
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Roughly five minutes into Saturday night's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball clash between the University of Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State University-Moorhead, the Dragons held an early 15-6 advantage.
Little did MSU-Moorhead know that it would be the last time they would find themselves with such a lead on the Bulldogs.
Before a packed house of 755 fans at Romano Gymnasium, UMD used their fast-paced offensive attack and solid defensive pressure to earn a thrilling 74-66 conference victory over the visiting Dragons.
"We weren't very effective tonight, but we grinded out a win," said Bulldog head coach Gary Holquist. "It was a team victory tonight and it was just big win for us."
The game started quickly in favor of MSU-Moorhead (8-14 overall; 5-12 NSIC) and with their early nine-point advantage, it looked as if they were cruising. However, a timeout by Holquist sparked UMD (17-10; 11-6), and by halftime, the Maroon and Gold had climbed all the way back into the contest and trailed just 30-28 when the teams headed for the locker rooms.
Within four minutes of the break, the Bulldogs had regained their first lead since the opening minutes of the affair, as they led 36-35. Both squads then battled back-and-forth for a majority of the second half, until a veteran guided UMD squad ran off to the conference win.
The Bulldogs, who are now ranked fifth in the latest NSIC standings, out-rebounded the Dragons 30-27 on the glass, while they also committed just 12 turnovers compared to MSU-Moorhead's 20 on the evening.
UMD was guided by their senior guard Steve Klass, who dazzled the crowd by draining a game-high four 3-pointers en route to his team-leading 16 point performance. The captain also ripped down six rebounds, nabbed a game-high three steals and blocked a shot for the Bulldogs.
Junior guard Ron White also played well on the perimeter for UMD, as the transfer student poured in 13 points and snagged five rebounds, while senior center John Vaudreuil added 13 points, three assists and a pair of rebounds on the night.
Fellow junior forward Brian Sykora also scored in double digits, as the captain racked up 10 points and a game-leading nine rebounds, while freshman point guard Ryan Rasmussen tallied eight point and a game-high four assists on the evening.
In the win, UMD shot an impressive 80 percent (12-for-15) from the charity stripe, 48 percent (27-for-56) from the field and 40 percent (8-for-20) from behind the arc, while they also dished out more assists and swiped away more steals than the Dragons.
The Bulldogs have now won a pair of conference matches and with just three games left on the schedule, Holquist and his boys are hoping to be playing their best come playoff time.
"We won two big games this weekend and that's what counts," said Holquist. "And during this time of the year, we just have to keep winning games."
UMD looks to continue their winning streak next Saturday (Feb. 21), as they hit the road to Fayette, Iowa to collide with Upper Iowa (5-19; 4-13) in a crucial NSIC contest at 8 p.m.
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