The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Men’s Basketball team struggled in the first half, but played a solid second half, but the late comeback came up short in a 77-68 loss to the St. Cloud State Huskies in a Northern Sun Conference game played at Lysaker Gymnasium in Crookston.
FIRST HALF-
UMC’s Blaize Sagna (Jr. London, England) would get off to a hot start as he knocked down two threes, including banking one off the glass, to give UMC an early 6-5 lead. St. Cloud State responded with a 9-0 run to go up 14-6. Later in the half, De’Antray Hughes (Sr. New Orleans, LA) would get a lay-up for the Golden Eagles, but St. Cloud State would answer with an 8-0 run to hold a firm 27-11 lead. Aguek Deng (Jr. Des Moines, IA) and Reid Grant (Jr. Johnston, IA) each hit two-pointers, but St. Cloud State would answer with two more baskets and a free throw to go up 37-17. Isaiah Bundy-Smith (Soph. Rugby, ND) and Deng would get lay-ups, but once again, the Huskies buried another three-pointer, going 6-9 from three-point land in the half. Hughes would get a late lay-up for the Golden Eagles before the halftime buzzer as St. Cloud State held a 42-24 lead.
SECOND HALF-
After a quick St. Cloud State basket, UMC responded with an 11-2 run as Deng hit a pair of lay-ups, and Grant buried a triple and got a lay-up as well to make the St. Cloud State lead shrink to 46-35. UMC would later get a lay-up from Hughes, another grant three, and Sagna would get a lay-up, and two free throws to bring the St. Cloud State lead down to just six at 50-44 with 11 minutes left in regulation. St. Cloud State got a big three and had a pair of technical foul free throws as Coach Beamish drew a technical foul as the Huskies lead climbed up to 56-44. The two sides would trade baskets and free throws later on as St. Cloud State’s lead grew to 19 points. UMC had a late 14-3 run to cut the St. Cloud State lead down to eight as Sagna made a pair of lay-ups and a three while Deng added a lay-up and hit a three. UMC fouled with about a minute left as the Huskies made one free throw to go up 75-66. Myles Adams had a dunk with half a minute left to cut the game down to a 75-68 St. Cloud State lead, but the Huskies added a pair of free throws that UMC couldn’t answer, and St. Cloud State would get the road win, 77-68.
UMC drops to 6-16 on the year and 3-13 in the NSIC. UMC will host Bemidji State nex Thursday. St. Cloud State improves to 9-12 overall and 5-10 in the NSIC.
CLICK HERE for Coach Brian Beamish’s post-game comments
1st | 2nd | Final | |
St. Cloud State | 42 | 35 | 77 |
UM-Crookston | 24 | 44 | 68 |
For UMC | Points | Rebounds | Assists/Steals |
Blaize Sagna | 25 | 3 | 2 assists |
Reid Grant | 16 | 2 | 4 assists/2 steals |
Aguek Deng | 11 | 10 | 4 blocks |
De’Antray Hughes | 7 | 7 | |
Jordan Mitchell | 4 | 8 | 4 assists/2 steals |
Myles Adams | 2 | 2 | |
Isaiah Bundy-Smith | 2 | ||
Mario Adams | 1 | ||
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