Minnesota Crookston men’s basketball outscored Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (NCAA Division II) 38-20 in the second half to win 68-53 in the Puerto Rico Basketball Classic played in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Golden Eagles continued their early trend of slow start starts offensively as Minnesota Crookston shot just 43% from the field in the first half, but UMC did manage to make 6-11 three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. Despite the strong three-point shooting, Pontifical Catholic University took a 33-30 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Minnesota Crookston shot 57% from the field while holding their hosts to just 38% shooting in the closing 20 minutes as the Golden Eagles picked up their fifth straight win by a final score of 68-53. Minnesota Crookston was led by reigning All-NSIC First Team selection Harrison Cleary (Jr., Oak Creek, WI), who scored a game-high 25 points. Chase Knickerbocker (Sr., Annandale) added 15 points for the Golden Eagles while bringing down a team-high 7 rebounds helping UMC outrebound PCU-PR 34-31.
Minnesota Crookston improves to 5-1 and continues its Puerto Rico Basketball Classic on Thursday when the Golden Eagles take on Missouri Southern State at 11 a.m. Concordia-Moorhead falls to 1-2.
| 1 | 2 | Final | |
| UMC | 30 | 38 | 68 |
| Pontifical Catholic | 33 | 20 | 53 |
| For UMC | Points | Rebounds | Assists/Steals |
| Harrison Cleary | 25 | 4 | 2 assists |
| Chase Knickerbocker | 15 | 7 | 4 assists |
| Darin Viken | 8 | 4 | 2 steals |
| Malcolm Cohen | 7 | 2 | 2 steals |
| Gable Smith | 5 | 3 | 3 blocks |
| Brian Sitzman | 4 | 3 | 3 assists |
| Josh Collins | 2 | 6 | |
| Ben Juhl | 2 | 2 |
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