Box Score The 14th-ranked team in NCAA II proved every bit worthy of the high regard as Minnesota State University downed the University of Minnesota Duluth by an 89-54 final in Mankato on Saturday night.

UMD (5-7, 3-5 NSIC) has now dropped two in a row in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play after a three-game winning streak closed out 2013 for the Bulldogs. MSU Mankato (13-2, 8-1 NSIC) continued a five-game winning streak with the victory.

Senior guard Peter Crawford was the lone Bulldog to hit double-figures scoring with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting on the night. Junior guard Reece Zoelle led the Bulldogs with eight boards, falling two rebounds and one point shy of a double-double as he netted nine points on the night.

The two teams battled back and forth in the game's opening half as the lead changed twice with another pair of ties in the first ten minutes, but MSU took a 17-16 lead at the midway point of the first and never looked back. UMD shot just 30.6 percent on the night compared to an extremely efficient 51.8 percent from the hosts. The Bulldogs were just 4-for-20 from beyond the arch.

Next weekend, UMD will return to Romano Gym where the Bulldogs are a perfect 5-0 on the season. They'll take on the Cougars of the University of Sioux Falls in NSIC action on Friday night. Opening tip is set for 8:00 p.m. following the women's contest.