The University of Minnesota Duluth will take a three-game winning streak into its first home playoff game since 2006 after defeating Minot State University 83-80 in overtime in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season on Saturday evening at Romano Gym.

UMD (15-13, 12-10 NSIC) is guaranteed its first winning record since the 2011-12 season while also securing its first winning conference record since 2008-09. The Bulldogs will host Winona State University in the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Postseason Tournament on Wednesday night.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Senior center Brett Ervin scored a game-high 22 points on 7-of-18 shooting to lead UMD. Junior guard Pierre Newton scored 14 points in the second half, finishing 11-of-15 from the free throw line including 8-of-12 in the second half. He finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the way for UMD. All seven Bulldogs that saw the floor scored multiple baskets.
• Five players hit double figures scoring for Minot State (14-14, 9-13 NSIC), and all eight Beavers to take the court scored at least six points. Junior guard Michael Pelo scored 17 points off the bench to lead MSU, including 5-of-10 from three-point range.  Senior guard Everett Robinson grabbed a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out in the overtime session.
 

UMD came out of the blocks firing, holding a 13-5 lead heading to the first media timeout with just 5:22 off the clock. Minot State immediately answered with a three-pointer, but not long after, Ervin dropped in a triple of his own. The Bulldogs appeared to have momentum on their side through the first half, but slowly the jump shots (UMD had scored seven threes and just 14 points in the paint at halftime) caught up to UMD as the Beavers pulled within one at 38-37 heading to the halftime break. Each team had 14 makes after twenty minutes, with Minot keeping pace thanks to five triples.

The Beavers scored the first points of the half, and the game was quickly tied after the break. Minot built up a pair of five-point leads in the second half, but UMD, led largely by Newton driving the lane and making good on free throws, climbed back into a tie. The Beavers again stretched it to five late before UMD scored seven straight to pull ahead. Junior guard Dominique McDonald scored the final basket of regulation with 53 seconds to go to tie the game, with both teams missing on chances to win in the closing minutes. The Bulldogs scored the first four points of overtime when senior guard Reece Zoelle tipped in a missed three, but the Beavers answered back with a triple of their own by freshman Tyler Rudolph. They'd missed their next two attempts at three as UMD once again built a four-point lead, but Pelo sank one with seven ticks left on the clock. The Bulldogs put the ball in the hands of Ervin for a pair of free throws, which he made good on to secure the lead, as a desperation heave by Minot could not fall.

UMD would finish the game shooting 44.3 percent, making 11-of-28 three pointers and 18-of 26 at the charity stripe. Minot State shot 47.1 percent, sinking 9-of-22 threes but took just nine trips to the free throw line for seven points.