SIOUX FALLS, SD -- The Minot State men's basketball team shot 50 percent from deep on the way to a 94-85 win against the Concordia-Saint Paul Golden Bears at Sanford Pentagon Saturday.
The Beavers (25-8) had four players score in double figures, led by Ayouba Berthe, who had 23 points. Caleb Van De Griend tacked on a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds and Jaxon Gunville helped out with 15 points.
Minot State did a stellar job taking care of the basketball, dishing out 12 assists while turning the ball over 6 times. Individually, Sam West led the way for the Beavers with 6 assists.
Stepping foot on a bigger stage, the Beavers showed out a lot of grit and effort with the lights starting to shine brighter. Coach Murken saw lots of good from his team.
"We showed a lot of toughness tonight. Our bench stepped up, and our Seniors stepped up. When they (Concordia St. Paul) made a run, we had an answer. That was a complete team effort," Murken said.
The Beavers await the winner between Minnesota State-Mankato and St. Cloud State as those two squads will tip off at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 29-26 advantage, Minot State went on a 7-0 run with 7:58 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Gunville, to increase its lead to 36-26. The Beavers then added three points to that lead by the end of the first half and entered halftime with a 47-34 advantage.
Minot State kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Berthe's three, to grow the lead to 72-62 with 7:38 to go in the contest. The Golden Bears narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Beavers still cruised the rest of the way for the 94-85 win. Minot State took care of business in the paint, recording 32 of its 47 points in the lane.
Game Notes
» Caleb Van De Griend notched a double-double for the Beavers with 17 points and 13 rebounds. The 17 points give Van De Griend 1,009 career points at Minot State.
» The Beavers made half of their attempts from three point range, knocking down 7 of 14 shots.
» Minot State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Minot State had a 37-35 edge on the boards in the win.
» Minot State turned the ball over 6 times while dishing out 12 assists.
» Ayouba Berthe led the Beavers with 23 points.
» Minot State got a game-high 13 rebounds from Caleb Van De Griend.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
