The University of Minnesota Duluth continued its winning ways, this time having to hold off Minot State University late for its fourth straight victory Friday night at the Minot State Dome in Minot, N.D. When it mattered the most, the Bulldogs hunkered down to improve to 5-1 and 2-0 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
UMD made a few threes with time expiring on the shot clock and hustled to the glass in the 70-65 win over the Beavers, who dropped to 5-6 overall and 0-2 in the NSIC. They built an 18-point lead in the second half and watched it almost disappear.
Junior forward Luke Harris and junior guard Trevor Entwisle collected three-point shots late in the game to keep UMD ahead. With the Beavers still clawing back, Entwisle and senior forward Sean Burns hustled to a pair of offensive boards in the game's final minute of play to seal the victory.
Harris knocked down a team-high 15 points despite coming off the bench. Harris was the spark plug as he made three of his four shots from beyond the arc and nailed all four of his free throw attempts. Junior forward Brandon Myer posted 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the win. Entwisle and senior guard Mamadou Ngom each tallied 10 points as they rounded out the four Bulldogs to reach double figures.
The Bulldogs shot 42.3 percent from the floor while their counterparts scored on an even 54 percent from the field. UMD shot a solid 44 percent from downtown as seven different players rattled in a three. Minot State beat the Bulldogs in the paint 34-16 but UMD prevailed with the depth off the bench as they outscored the adversary 28-7.
David Akibo, the Beavers' leading scorer heading into tonight, netted 11 points on 5-for14 shooting. Max Cody was dialed in the second half for Minot State as he scored 14 of his game high 20 points in the final 15 minutes. During his run, the Beavers shot 11-for-17 while the Bulldogs only hit on four of their 17 looks.
Luckily, UMD gave itself enough breathing room before the Beavers started their comeback bid. The Bulldogs closed to first half on a 10-0 to turn a 33-30 deficit into a 40-33 lead at the break. UMD continued to add to its advantage using a 17-6 run to start the second half. Junior guard Logan Rorhscheib capped off the 27-6 run that covered 8:29 with a three to give the Bulldogs their biggest lead. Harris and Ngom each had eight points in that stretch.
UMD can make it five in a row for the first time since 2015-16 tomorrow night at the University of Mary. First tip of that NSIC contest is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
