UMC MEN’S BASKETBALL OUTREBOUNDS WAYNE STATE ON THEIR WAY TO A WIN

Story by Hunter Plante (UMC Athletics)

The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Men’s Basketball team outrebounded the Wayne State Wildcats by 20 on their way to a 75-59 on Friday night in Crookston. Leonard Dixon (R-Jr., F, Demascus, Ore.) and Nathaniel Powell (R-So., C, Nottingham, England) each had double-doubles on the night.

The Golden Eagles got off to a great start, with back-to-back makes from deep from Uzo Dibiamaka (R-So., G, Adelaide, Australia) and Dixon to go up 6-0 early on in the game.  Alec Millinder would bury a three to cut the lead to 6-3, but Jerome Mabry (R-So., G, Milwaukee, Wis.) and Dixon would score buckets to extend the lead to 10-3.  Minnesota Crookston would extend their lead to 20-10, following buckets from Marcus Thompson (R-Jr., F, Brooklyn, NY), Ron Kirk, Jr. (Fr., G, Milwaukee, Wis.) and Rambo Badyal (Jr., G, Kelowna, British Columbia) to make it 20-10 midway through the first half. WSC would cut the lead to 20-17, but the Golden Eagles would extend their lead to 31-19 and would lead by seven heading into the halftime break.

The Golden Eagles would extend their lead to 14, following a pair of jumpers from Dixon, who would score a game-high 20 points on the night.  The Wildcats would cut the lead to just nine with 4:39 remaining, but Dibiamaka would score his only three points of the half on a huge shot through contact, where he would get three the old-fashioned way. Two minutes later, Dixon would rock the rim sending Lysaker Gymnasium into a flurry and all but putting the nail in the coffin in the game.  The Golden Eagles would close out the victory, 75-59.

With the win, the Golden Eagles have now won three out of their last four games and improve to 7-13 overall (4-10 NSIC) and will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at 3:30, as they welcome in No. 14/17 Augustana from Gary Senske Court at Lysaker Gymnasium. Wayne State falls to 10-8 (7-5 NSIC).