UMC Men’s Basketball battles, but comes up short at NDSU

The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Men’s Basketball team played a great defensive game and gave themselves a chance, but a late run gave the North Dakota State Bison a 67-60 victory in a game played in Fargo, North Dakota at the Scheels Center.

FIRST HALF –
NDSU jumped out to a 12-3 lead in the first six minutes of the game before UMC’s offense warmed up. “We need to come out in a rhythm,” UMC Coach Brian Beamish said. “That way we can really believe that we’re going to be in a lot of these close games.” The Golden Eagles got a big spark from Christian Bowen-Webb with a pair of three-pointers before Landon Dimler buried a three, and Andrew Stokes hit a turnaround jump shot to cap an 11-0 run for a 14-12 lead with 11:13 left in the half. After an NDSU dunk, Bowen-Webb made a basket for a 16-14 lead. The game was tied at 17. UMC’s Micah Garrett hit a turn-around jump shot. NDSU made a free throw before Reid Grant made a basket for a 21-18 lead. NDSU responded with four points before UMC’s Aguek Deng drove the lane and made a layup for a 23-22 lead. The Bison had a tip-in basket and made two free throws before UMC was assessed a technical foul. Both free throws were made, and suddenly, NDSU led 28-23 with 4:24 left in the half. UMC stopped the run with a Stokes basket, only to have NDSU make a three-pointer for a 31-25 lead.  The pesky UMC team wouldn’t go away as Grant made a three-pointer only to have NDSU end the half on a 5-0 run for a 36-28 lead going into halftime.

SECOND HALF –
UMC started the half with a Dimler three-pointer, only to be countered by a Bison 7-0 run for a 43-31 lead four minutes into the half. UMC responded with baskets by Grant and Brayden Carlson. NDSU countered with four points before UMC answered with two baskets by Grant, and after a Bison basket, Grant added another basket, and Bowen-Webb made a three-pointer to get the Golden Eagles within a 49-44 deficit. The Bison made a basket halfway through the half for a 51-44 lead, only to have UMC’s Mitchell make two free throws, and after a Bison basket, the Golden Eagles responded with five points with two free throws from Dimler and a three-pointer from Grant to get within 53-51 deficit. The Bison made a free throw before UMC’s Grant made another three-pointer to tie the game at 54-54 with 6:50 left. The teams exchanged baskets before the Bison scored the next five points. UMC’s Bown-Webb made a three-pointer with 2:50 remaining to get within a 61-59 deficit. The Bison went into the paint and made a hook shot for a 63-59 lead with 2:08 remaining.  With 54 seconds remaining, NDSU missed a shot but tipped the rebound in to take a 65-59 lead. The Bison made two free throws for a 67-59 lead with 26 seconds to go. UMC’s Jordan Mitchell added a free throw with eight seconds to go and the Bison held on for a 67-60 victory. “We were right there,” said UMC Coach Brian Beamish. “As a competitor, you’re upset…I told our guys that I hope it stings, but we’re showing growth as a program even early on this year.”

UMC’s record stays at 1-3 on the year as it was considered an exhibition game for the Golden Eagles. UMC will start Northern Sun Conference play on Tuesday when they travel to Minot State. NDSU improves to 3-3 on the year as it was a regular game for them.

Andrew Stokes

Reid Grant

Landon Dimler

Jordan Mitchell

Micah Garrett