DULUTH, MN -- The Minot State men's basketball team hit 12-of-28 attempts from 3-point range, shooting 42.9 percent from deep in a 77-69 victory against the Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm on Saturday.
The Beavers (2-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Ayouba Berthe, who had 19 points and two steals. Jaxon Gunville tacked on 18 points and Jalen Cook chipped in as well with 17 points.
Minot State out-rebounded Southeastern Oklahoma State 38-35 in Saturday's game, led by 9 boards from Sam West. The Beavers also collected 11 offensive rebounds and scored 10 second chance points.
Minot State did a great job disrupting Southeastern Oklahoma State shots in the contest, coming away with 6 blocks. West led the way individually for the Beavers with 2 rejections.
How It Happened
After falling behind 27-23, Minot State went on a 6-0 run with 48 seconds left in the first half, culminating in a three from Gunville, to take a 29-27 lead, a score that would hold until halftime. Minot State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down 4 shots to account for 12 of its 29 points.
Southeastern Oklahoma State proceeded to take a 40-39 lead before Minot State went on an 11-0 run, finished off by Gunville's three, to seize a 50-40 lead with 13:15 to go in the contest. The Savage Storm narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Beavers still cruised the rest of the way for the 77-69 win. Minot State shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting eight shots from deep to score 24 of its 48 points.
Head Coach Matt Murken emphasizes how well the newcomers have shown out, as well as the Beavers compete level thus far to begin the season.
"We've got a lot of new faces and returners in new roles. There is no substitute for game experience. We got a lot of that this weekend. Sometimes it showed our strengths and sometimes it showed our weaknesses. In the end of both games, we found a way to win and that's a credit to the competitive spirit of our guys," coach Murken said.
"2-0 is a great start for our team. Now it's all about how much better we can get moving forward."
Game Notes
» The Beavers shot well from three point range, knocking down 12 of 28 long range attempts.
» Minot State had a 38-35 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Beavers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team.
» Minot State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Ayouba Berthe led the Beavers with 19 points.
» Minot State got a game-high 9 rebounds from Sam West.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
