UMC MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS IN LOW SCORING GAME AGAINST MINOT STATE

The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Men’s Basketball team shot just 40% from the field while going 3-20 from the three-point line in a 68-61 loss to Minot State in an NSIC game played at Lysaker Gymnasium in Crookston.

After a Minots State jump shot opened the scoring, Brian Sitzmann (R-Fr., Savage) answered with a jumper tying the game at 2-2. Sitzmann followed up with a three-pointer giving the Golden Eagles a 5-2 lead. After a 4-0 run from the Beavers, Chase Johnson (R-Soph., La Crosse, WI) slammed a dunk giving UMC a 7-6 lead. Harrison Cleary (Jr., Oak Creek, WI) converted at the rim with 11:54 to play in the first half giving Minnesota Crookston a 9-7 lead. Both sides contiued trading baskets before Chase Knickerbocker (Sr., Annandale) buried a triple putting UMC in front 18-14 with 7:33 to play in the first half.  Following a 4-0 Minot State run Gable Smith (R-Sr., Lodi, WI) knocked down a jump shot giving the Golden Eagles a 20-18 advantage. Following a Minot State three-pointer, Harrison Cleary and Darin Viken (Sr., Fosston) scored back-to-back lay-ups giving Minnesota Crookston a 24-21 lead. Josh Collins (Sr., Minneapolis) scored a lay-up fo the final basket of the opening half to give the Golden Eagles a 26-23 halftime lead. “We knew it was going to be a physical game,” said UMC head coach Dan Weisse. “Give Minot State credit, they had a good game plan, but I wish some of those shots had fallen. We had some shots and just didn’t knock them down.”

Minot State opened the second half with a three-pointer tying the game at 26-26 before a Josh Collins lay-up gave the hosts a 28-26 lead. Javier Nicolau (R-Jr., Castellon, Spain) followed with a basket inside to take a 30-26 lead. A 6-2 run from Minot State tied the game at 32-32 with both sides trading baskets before before Brian Sitzmann made a three-pointer giving the Golden Eagles a 39-36 lead with 10:46 to play. Following a 4-0 run from the Beavers, Josh Collins scored a lay-up regaining the lead for Minnesota Crookston. A Collins’ dunk with 8:12 to play put UMC in front 43-42 before Minot State scored two-straight basket to take a 46-43 lead with 7:12 to play. Malcolm Cohen (R-Jr., Detroit, MI) made a pair of free-throws to pull the hosts within 46-45 before Minot State scored four straight point to take a 50-45 lead. Off a missed three-pointer Josh Collins putback the rebound clawing the Golden Eagles within 50-47 with 4:23 to play. Harrison Cleary followed with a lay-up through a blocking foul, making the free-throw to tie the game at 50-50 with 3:54 to play. Out of a timeout Minot State scored a basket from the corner that was ruled a three-pointer on the floor and held up after review giving Minot State a 53-50 lead before a Beavers’ lay-up through a foul gave the Beavers a 56-50 lead after the free-throw with 3:00 to play. Harrison Cleary banked in a lay-up from the left side of the lane bringing the Golden Eagles within 56-52, but Minot State scored two bonus free-throws at the other end to take a 58-52 lead. Harrison Cleary scored another lay-up at the other pulling the hosts within 58-54 with 2:12 to play. An offensive rebound with 1:34 to play ended with a lay-up reestablishing a six point lead for the Beavers before a banked in three-pointer pushed the visitor’s lead to 62-54. Following a Malcolm Cohen free-throw to bring UMC within seven, Minot State answered with two free-throws expanding their lead to 64-55. Javier Nicolau made a lay-up with 29-seconds to play brining the Golden Eagles back within seven, but Minot State made enough free-throws down the stretch to close out a 68-61 win. “We’ve got to be tougher at the end of games,” summarized Weisse. “The communication really cost us. That’s on us. Give Minot a ton of credit, but we controlled a lot of things in that game, but we allowed them to do some things because we didn’t execute what we do. Not just on the offensive end, but the defensive end.”

Minnesota Crookston drops to 15-13 overall and 8-11 in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles return to the court for Senior Day on Saturday when UMC hosts the University of Mary at 5:30 p.m. on KROX. Minot State improves to 13-15 overall and 8-11 in the NSIC.