MINOT, ND -- The Minot State men's basketball team went into halftime trailing Winona State 43-36 but fought back from the deficit to tie the game at 73-73, force overtime and eventually knock off the Warriors 113-104 at home Friday.

The Beavers (16-0, 7-0) had 5 players score in double figures, led by Caleb Van De Griend, who had an impressive double-double with 33 points and 22 rebounds. Jalen Cook tacked on 27 points and Ayouba Berthe helped out with 19 points and 6 rebounds.

Minot State grabbed 49 rebounds in Friday's game compared to Winona State's 46, led by Van De Griend's 22 boards which became an all-time single-game record surpassing Tyler Rudolph who had 21 on February 10, 2017. The Beavers also cleaned up the offensive glass, turning 12 rebounds into 12 second chance points.

The Minot State defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Friday's game, forcing 14 Winona State turnovers while committing 12. Those takeaways turned into 20 points on the offensive end of the floor. Van De Griend's 3 steals led the way individually for the Beavers.

The fight and the grit that Van De Griend and the Beavers show continues to be evident.

"We're a gritty team. No one cares about their own stats. No one cares about how they performed individually. We just want to win…we know what it takes. We've won games in overtime, we've won games by 30, and we've had close games. You keep going until the buzzer goes," Van De Griend said.

How It Happened
After jumping out to a 14-13 advantage, Minot State went on a 5-0 run with 12:52 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Jaxon Gunville, to increase its lead to 19-13. The Beavers then surrendered that lead and entered halftime down 43-36.

After intermission, Minot State kept the Warriors from increasing their lead before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Van De Griend's jumper, to even the score at 57 all with 7:44 to go in the contest. Neither team was able to finish the game in regulation and the contest headed to overtime tied at 73-73. Minot State shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting 7 shots from deep to score 21 of its 37 points.

Minot State kept it close before going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Van De Griend's layup, to seize a 103-97 lead with 3:33 to go in the period. The Beavers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 113-104 win.
 
Game Notes
» Caleb Van De Griend notched an impressive double-double for the Beavers with 33 points and 22 rebounds.
» Minot State rallied from a seven-point 43-36 halftime deficit to force overtime and ultimately pick up the victory.
» Minot State found success from beyond the arc, knocking down 15 treys in the game.
» Minot State recorded 17 total assists in the game.
» Jaxon Gunville and Jalen Cook each knocked down 5 threes to lead a Minot State shooting attack that had 2 players sink 5 or more shots from beyond the arc.
» Every Minot State starter scored in double figures.
» Five Minot State players scored 10 or more points.
» Minot State had a 49-46 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Minot State defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Minot State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Caleb Van De Griend had a game-high 33 points and Jalen Cook added 27.
» Caleb Van De Griend dominated the boards with a game-high 22 rebounds to lead Minot State.
» Caleb Van De Griend's 22 rebounds is an all-time single-game record, surpassing Tyler Rudolph's 21 from Feb. 10, 2017.
 
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.