The University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team took to the road to close out 2024 at the Gangelhoff Center this afternoon, falling short to the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears 93-89 in their final game before the holiday break.
Final Score: UMD (89) - CSP (93)
After playing to a 7-7 tie, UMD went on a 10-0 run with 17:41 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Siwek, to take a 17-7 lead. The Bulldogs then lost a chunk of that lead, but still entered halftime with a one point 45-44 advantage. UMD did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 24 of its 45 points close to the basket.
Following the halftime break, the Bulldogs continued to widen their lead, expanding it to 59-56 before collecting five unanswered points, finished off by an Austin Andrews layup, to grow the lead to 64-56 with 13:50 to go in the contest. CSP then took control of the game, outscoring the Bulldogs 37-25 the rest of the way to hand UMD the 93-89 loss. The Bulldogs took care of business in the paint, recording 30 of their 44 points in the lane.
Bulldog Notes vs. CSP
Charlie Katona totaled 29 points and Joshua Brown added 24, leading the Bulldogs throughout the contest. Katona tacked on five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks and Brown added two blocks. Caleb Siwek also helped out with 11 points and two steals.
Katona pulled down three offensive rebounds to pace the UMD offense which grabbed 14 boards and turned them into 14 second chance points.
The Bulldogs did a great job disrupting the Golden Bears' shots in the contest, coming away with five total blocks. Katona's two rejections led the way individually for the Bulldogs.
The UMD defense continued to thrive on the glass, collecting a 35-33 rebounding advantage and a team-high eight rebounds from Nick Katona. The Bulldog defense also forced 13 turnovers throughout the night.
Looking Ahead
Bulldog men's basketball (7-5, 2-4 NSIC) returns to action in 2025 on the road against the Northern State University Wolves and the Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons. Tip-off against the Wolves is currently set for Friday, Jan. 3, at 7:30 PM.
