The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle men’s basketball team’s Spencer Swenson scored a career high 27 points and grabbed a career high 13 rebounds and his teammates made seven free throws in the final 50 seconds to beat the University of Sioux Falls Cougars 85-79 in a Northern Sun game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
FIRST HALF –
UMC started the game with the hot hand as they made their first two three-point shots by Kazadi Mukoma Jr. (Jr. Grand Island, NE) and Alijah Washington (Jr. San Jose, CA) for a 6-0. Sioux Falls answered with five points before UMC’s Washington and Lindsey Donez (Fresh. Stockton, CA) made baskets for a 10-5 lead. Sioux Falls countered with five points to tie the game at 10-10 before UMC’s GD Deng (Sr. Des Moines, IA) made a three-pointer, and Washington made a layup. After a USF three, Mukoma Jr. answered with a three-pointer for an 18-13 lead with 12:09 left in the half. Sioux Falls bounced back with a 10-0 run for a 23-18 lead halfway through the half. UMC answered with a 5-2 run with another Mukoma Jr. three-pointer and a Washington basket to get within a 25-23 deficit. The teams exchanged baskets until UMC’s Braydon Carlson (Soph. Woodbury) had a tip-in to tie the game at 30 with 3:47 left in the half.
Sioux Falls responded with a 7-0 run. The Golden Eagles stopped the run with a three-pointer from Spencer Swenson (Fresh. Sauk Rapids). UMC trailed 37-33. Trailing 40-35 with one minute left, Swenson made a tough shot, and with seven seconds left in the half, UMC’s Brady Westphal (Fresh. West Fargo, ND) set a pick and was thrown down to the ground by the neck by a Cougar player, and a technical foul was called. Westphal made both free throws to bring the Golden Eagles within a 40-39 deficit, and that was the score at halftime.
SECOND HALF –
Sioux Falls started the second half on a 6-0 run before UMC’s Washington hit a turnaround jump shot to cut the Cougar lead to 46-41. Sioux Falls built a 51-43 lead before Swenson scored five straight points to bring the Golden Eagles within a 51-48 deficit six minutes into the half. Sioux Falls built a 56-50 lead with 12 minutes left in the game before UMC’s Swenson hit a three-pointer and Washington added a basket to get within a 56-55 deficit. Sioux Falls answered with a basket before UMC’s Swenson made a three-pointer, followed by a three-point play for a 61-58 lead with 9:54 left in the game. Sioux Falls countered with a 9-2 run to take a 67-63 lead. The teams exchanged baskets before UMC’s Lindsey hit a pull-up jump shot and Brady Westphal (Fresh. West Fargo, ND) buried a three-pointer to give the Golden Eagles a 70-69 lead with less than five minutes left. Sioux Falls regained the lead with a layup before UMC’s Westphal nailed another three-pointer to spark a 7-0 run with Swenson adding four points for a 78-71 lead with 2:34 remaining. Sioux Falls answered with seven straight points to tie the game at 78-78 with 65 seconds left in the game. UMC’s Lindsey was fouled with 43 seconds left and made both free throws for an 80-78 lead. The Golden Eagles got a stop on the defensive end before Lindsey was fouled and made two more free throws with 15 seconds left for a 63—78 lead. UMC got another stop and Washington made two more free throws with six seconds left and the Golden Eagles won the game 85-78.
UMC improves to 4-15 overall and 2-11 in the Northern Sun and will take on Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday at 7:00 p.m., with the game available on KROX Radio. Sioux Falls’ eight-game winning streak comes to an end as they fall to 10-9 overall and 7-6 in the NSIC.
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| Crookston | 39 | 46 | 85 |
| Sioux Falls | 40 | 38 | 78 |
| For UMC | Points | Rebounds | Other |
| Spencer Swenson | 27 | 13 | 3 assists/2 blocks |
| Alijah Washington | 17 | 4 | 2 steals/1 block |
| Kazadi Mukoma Jr. | 13 | 5 | 1 steal/1 block |
| Donez Lindsey | 13 | 4 | 4 assists |
| Brady Westphal | 8 | 1 steal | |
| GD Deng | 5 | 1 | |
| Brayden Carlson | 2 | 2 | 1 assist |
