(MINOT, N.D.) -- The Minot State men's basketball team faced Minnesota Duluth on Saturday evening and were not able to pick up the victory. The Beavers struggled to end the first half, and after cutting the deficit to five in the second half, the Beavers were not able to keep up.

The first half started relatively evenly with the Beavers leading 22-19 and trailing by one at 25-24. Minnesota Duluth would score six straight, taking a 31-24 lead. Minnesota Duluth would turn up the gas in their high-octane offense from there and take a 49-34 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Minot State would battle back, cutting the deficit to 10 points, trailing 51-41. Immediately afterward, the Bulldogs would answer to increase the lead to 55-41. After the media timeout, the Beavers would come out and get a big dunk from Kody Dwyer. That dunk would ignite a 9-0 run pushing the Beavers right back into the game trailing just 55-50. Unfortunately, the Beavers were unable to continue the momentum allowing the Bulldogs to score 13 unanswered points and expand the lead to 68-50. The Beavers were unable to get within striking distance for the remainder of the game, eventually falling 93-69.

The Beavers were led by Max Cody, scoring 27 points. Cody also led the team with five assists. Kody Dwyer was the only other Beaver to score in double figures. Dwyer had 11 points to go along with his eight rebounds. Kobe Jackson played well in his first opportunity with extended minutes, scoring eight points, grabbing five rebounds, and also gaining four steals.

The Beavers finish off the homestand next weekend with games against Southwest Minnesota State and a nationally ranked Sioux Falls. On Friday night, the Beavers tip-off at 7:30 p.m., meanwhile they will tip at 5:30 on Saturday evening.