MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University nearly battled back from a slow start, but couldn't overcome a 21-point deficit to fall 74-64 to Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball Friday at the Minot State Dome.

"I didn't like the way we competed in the first half," said MSU head coach Matt Murken. "We got out toughed a bit and that didn't sit well with me. That's not the recipe to win basketball games. That's as disappointed in how we have started game as I have been in a while."

The Beavers (10-13 overall, 6-11 NSIC) shot just 37.9 percent in the first half, but rallied in the second to shoot 57 percent and cut a lead that reached 21 early in the second half to just five on a layup by Brandon Green with 1:49 to play.

But MSU couldn't finish off the comeback as SMSU's Joey Bartlett countered the Green layup with a 3-pointer 25 seconds later.

Green was a huge spark for MSU in the second half, scoring all of his 11 points in the second and hit two of three 3s after the break.

"Brandon played really well for us," Murken said. "He was ready to roll and had great energy when he got in. He sparked us."

MSU started to make its move with just over five minutes to play. Nathan Mertens hit a runner in the lane and Russ Davis and Green hit back-to-back 3s to cut it to a six-point game with 3:50 to play. After a miss by SMSU, Green had another great look off a feed from Mertens that would have cut it to three, but it rimmed out.

"I think that's the only one he missed all night," Murken said. "He had a good look and was really shooting the ball well for us at that point."

MSU dug the early hole as the Beavers allowed SMSU to hit 51 percent in the first half – 5 of 12 on 3s – to go along with multiple offensive rebounds. MSU ended up getting out rebounded 43-30, including a 15-6 edge for SMSU on the offensive glass.

"We ramped up the intensity and guarded better in the second half," Murken said. "But we mentioned it in the pregame, SMSU has been ranked on and off again all season and you can't play 20 minutes against a team like that."

Bartlett scored 18 points to pace SMSU, while Mitch Weg had 11 points and eight rebounds, including four on the offensive end.

Luis Ricci Maia scored 15 points and dished out four assists to pace Minot State. Tyler Rudolph finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots and Mertens scored 12 points and added seven assists in the loss.

MSU will look to snap a three-game losing streak Saturday playing host to the University of Sioux Falls starting at 6 p.m.

About Minot State
Minot State University is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II offering 14 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletics programs. The NSIC is a premier NCAA DII, 16-member conference featuring teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Beavers are the only public NCAA Division II institution in the state of North Dakota.