The University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team returned to their home court in Romano Gymnasium this afternoon, taking down Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) rivals Concordia St Paul 88-87.
Final Score: UMD (88) - CSP (87)
After falling behind 14-7, the Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run, bookended by a Noah Paulson three pointer, to push ahead 16-14 early in the first half. UMD gave up their lead, finding themselves behind 35-32 before collecting another nine unanswered points with 6:05 left in the first half to take a 39-35 lead. CSP cut into the lead by a few points as time winded down, but the Bulldogs still entered the halftime break with a 47-44 advantage. UMD did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 26 of its 47 points close to the basket.
The Bulldogs outscored the Golden Bears 36-31 throughout the opening fifteen minutes of the second half, but ten straight points allowed CSP to take an 85-83 lead with two minutes to go. As time ticked away, UMD went on a 5-0 run to seize an 88-85 lead with 14 seconds to go in the contest. The Golden Bears narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Bulldogs were able to hold on for the 88-87 win. UMD took care of business in the paint, recording 32 of its 41 points in the lane.
Bulldog Notes vs. CSP
Austin Andrews collected a game high 29 points and nine rebounds while Charlie Katona added 22 points and seven rebounds. Joshua Brown also helped out with 16 points and five assists of his own. The trio combined to account for 76% of the Bulldogs' points.
UMD pulled down 31 rebounds in Saturday's game compared to CSP's 30, led by Andrews' nine boards.
The Bulldog defense was also effective at taking away the basketball throughout the game, forcing 14 Golden Bear turnovers while only committing six. Those takeaways turned into 23 points on the other end of the floor. Kole Hanson led the way individually for the Bulldogs with four steals.
Looking Ahead
Bulldog men's basketball (14-7, 9-6 NSIC) returns to Romano Gym next week to take on the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs before hitting the road to take on the Augustana University Vikings. Tip-off against the Mustangs is currently set for Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 5:30 PM.
