Box Score CROOKSTON, Minn. – Minot State University's defense was the difference.

The Beavers held Minnesota Crookston to just 47 total points and 36.4 percent shooting to earn head coach Matt Murken and the program's first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball win, topping the Golden Eagles 55-47 Friday at Lysaker Gymnasium.

“We won that for sure on defensive end and on the glass,” said MISU head coach Matt Murken. “This was by far the best we executed our defensive plan this year and by no coincidence, we held them to just 47 points.”

Minot State (2-6 overall, 1-3 NSIC) held UMC to just two points over the first nine minutes of the second half and used a 12-2 run capped by a Chris East (Jr., G, Toronto, Ontario) with 11:09 to take a 39-25 lead.

The 12-2 run was a part of a 19-2 run that answered the Golden Eagles only lead of the game. After UMC's Ashton Harrell scored with 2:31 to give his team the lead, Minot State's Anthony Enriquez (Sr., G, Tacoma, Wash.) hit a driving layup and Adam Randall (So., G, Steele, N.D.) knocked down a 3-pointer just ahead of the halftime buzzer to give the Beavers a four-point.

In all during the 19-2 run, Minot State held UMC to just a pair of free throws over a span of 11:46.

The Beavers couldn't quite put the Golden Eagles away as UMC (3-5, 0-4) cut the lead to seven late in the game, but Minot State made just enough free throws to keep the lead. MISU finished the game hitting 19 of 26, including a perfect 8-for-8 performance from E.J. Williams (Jr., G, Raleigh, N.C.). The Beavers hit 16 total free throws in the second half, scoring over half of their 28 points from the charity stripe.

“We should have been extending that lead, but we were able to keep enough distance,” said Murken said. “We played with more passion tonight. We have been trying very hard, but when things don't go our way, sometimes the shoulders go down a little or the heads go down a little. But, tonight, we were tougher than we have been.

Minot State didn't have a great shooting night, hitting 34.8 percent of their shots (16 for 46) but pulled down 10 offensive rebounds and led UMC 35-27 in rebounding.

Almir Krdzalic finished with a game-high 16 points for the Golden Eagles, hitting 6-of-11 field goals. Broderick Schmidt pulled down eight rebounds for UMC.

Williams led the Beavers with 12 points and added five rebounds. Enriquez scored 11 points and Randall added 10 points and four rebounds in the win. East nearly recorded a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds for Minot State.

The Beavers travel Saturday to Bemidji State for another NSIC road contest beginning at 6 p.m.

– GO BEAVERS –