Box Score The University of Minnesota Duluth continued a trend of hanging tough against the top teams in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's North division but Northern State handed the Bulldogs a heartbreaking 70-68 loss at Romano Gym on Saturday evening.

UMD (7-11, 5-9 NSIC) put the ball in the hands of its seniors - Jordan Reetz and Peter Crawford - down three in the closing seconds, but when Reetz leaped for a game-tying shot, he was knocked to the floor and sent to the free-throw line. Reetz made the first, missed the second, and intentionally missed the third to allow a final game-tying shot, but Northern State (14-6, 9-5 NSIC) hauled in the defensive rebound to keep the Bulldogs at bay. Reetz was 15-of-18 from the line, two off a UMD individual game record.

Northern State built up a 10-3 lead early in the opening half, but UMD turned it around with an eight-point lead of its own late in the first before settling for a five-point halftime lead. Both teams shot the lights out in the opening frame, combining for 24-of-49 with UMD up 42-37. The two teams continued the pace in the second half, combining for 50.0 percent shooting on 48 shots, but it was Northern State's Skye Warwick who made the game-icing three that was the difference in the game.

Reetz finished with a game-high 25 points for the Bulldogs. Crawford added 14, and junior guard Reece Zoelle added 22. The trio shot 43.2 percent on 37 shots. UMD saw its post players in foul trouble early with the two teams combining for 55 fouls with nine different players collecting at least four fouls on the night.  The Bulldogs kept themselves in it shooting 30-of-36 from the free-throw line, but the Wolves were nearly perfect, 23-of-24 at the charity stripe. Four Wolves hit double figures scoring on the night. Reetz tied for the game-high with eight boards on the night, while Zoelle nearly matched him with seven of his own.

UMD is back at Romano Gym next week, playing host to a pair of NSIC South division opponents in Augustana (S.D.) College and Wayne State College. Opening tip between the Bulldogs and Vikings is set for 8:00 p.m. Friday night, following the women's contest.