MINOT, ND --The Beavers shot lights out as Max Cody matched season-high with 24 points to help lead the Minot State men's basketball team over Bemidji State 91-82 at home Friday.
 
MSU shot 65.5 percent from the field as a team including a second-half that saw 20 made shots and a scoring output of 68.97 (20-29) percent from the field. Max Cody led the way with a 9-12 shooting night that resulted in a season-high 24-point game to help guide MSU (5-4, 3-2) to a three-game winning streak.

Cam'ron Dunfee helped out with 15 points and five steals and Melvin Newbern chipped in with a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

MSU moves above .500 for the first time this season with the win and with St. Cloud's matchup with Minnesota Moorhead being canceled and the addition of Concordia-St. Paul to the schedule on Saturday and Sunday sits in third place within the North Division. 

Minot State out-rebounded Bemidji State 26-22 in Friday's game, led by Newbern's 11 boards.

The Minot State defense was a problem in Friday's game, forcing 17 Bemidji State turnovers while committing 13. Those takeaways turned into 16 points on the offensive end of the floor. Dunfee's five steals led the way individually for the Beavers.

How It Happened
After playing to a 31-31 tie, Minot State went on a 10-0 run with 4:06 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Kody Dwyer, to take a 41-31 lead. Dwyer finished with 18 points to mark his second-straight game in double figures. The MSU Beavers then maintained that lead and entered halftime with a 44-34 advantage.
 
Minot State kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Jaxon Gunville's three, to grow the lead to 67-52 with 10:38 to go in the contest. The Bemidji State Beavers narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Minot State Beavers still cruised the rest of the way for the 91-82 win. Minot State took care of business in the paint, recording 40 of its 91 points in the lane.

The MSU Beavers have won three in a row to mark their longest winning streak of the season and look for their second consecutive series sweep tomorrow at the MSU Dome. 
 
Game Notes
» Newbern notched a double-double for the Beavers with 10 points and 11 rebounds marking his 4th of the season.
» MSU never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Minot State tallied season-high 18 total assists in the game, led by Cody's six. 
» The MSU Beavers shot 65 percent from the floor to economically reach their 91 point total.
» Minot State had a 26-22 edge on the boards in the win.
» The MSU Beavers defense forced 17 turnovers.
» MSU shot 65.5% (36-55) from the field to mark a season-high while knocking down a season-high 36 shots.
 
The Beavers are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 30, when they will take on Bemidji State for the final time in the regular season at 2 p.m. (CT).