UMC MEN’S BASKETBALL LIGHTS UP SIOUX FALLS BEHIND HARRISON CLEARY’S 40 POINTS

The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Men’s Basketball team won its second road game of non-conference play in emphatic fashion blasting the University of Sioux Falls 94-69 at the Stewart Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Minnesota Crookston opened the scoring with small forward Malcolm Cohen (R-Sr., Detroit, MI) dribbling down the left side of the paint for a lay-up off the backboard giving the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead on their opening possession. Harrison Cleary (Sr., Oak Creek, WI) connected on a runner from the lane increasing the visitors’ advantage to 4-0. After a missed Sioux Falls’ three-pointer, Cleary brought the ball up the wing in transition before attacking the rim and finishing through a foul, completing the three-point play increasing Minnesota Crookston’s lead to 7-0 with 16:40 to play in the first half. The Cougars responded with a three-point play of their own as Devin Green (Sr., Cascade, IA) made the jump shot and free-throw trimming Sioux Falls’ deficit down to 7-3. Malcolm Cohen countered with a lay-up through contact later in the half reestablishing a 9-4 lead. Zac Olson (R-Soph., Waterville) played his first significant minutes of the season and responded well knocking down a three-pointer from the top of the arc putting Minnesota Crookston ahead 14-7 with 13:27 to play in the half. Olson’s three-pointer sparked a 23-0 run capped off by back-to-back Malcolm Cohen three-pointers giving the Golden Eagles a 34-7 lead with 7:33 to play in the first half. Sioux Falls scored the next five points before Harrison Cleary answered with 6 points of his own giving Minnesota Crookston a 39-12 advantage. Brian Sitzmann (R-Soph., Savage) beat the buzzer with a three-pointer giving the visitors a 54-27 lead at halftime.

Harrison Cleary started the second half with a three-pointer increasing UMC’s lead to 57-27 to open the second half. After a pair of Sioux Falls’ free-throws, Reed Miller (Fr., Appleton, WI) buried a three-pointer boosting the Golden Eagles lead to 61-29. With Minnesota Crookston cruising, Harrison Cleary sank two free-throws to eclipse the 40-point mark for the fourth time in his career while giving the Golden Eagles a 90-52 lead with 5:38 to play. Minnesota Crookston came up just short of the century mark finishing the night with 94 points as Sioux Falls ended the game on an 8-0 run but the Golden Eagles took the win 94-69. 

UMC improves to 5-2 overall and will resume NSIC play on December 6 when the Golden Eagles travel to Minnesota State-Moorhead for a 7:30 P.M. tip-off. Sioux Falls drops to 4-2.