Box Score MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University busted out on offense to the tune of a season-high 91 points, 14 made 3-pointers and 55.2 percent shooting.

Yet it was the play of Isiah Gandy (Jr., G, West Palm Beach, Fla.) on defense that caught head coach Matt Murken's attention.

“The most impressive thing for me was the job Isiah did on Terez (CU leading scorer Terez VanPelt),” Murken said. “To watch a guy plays as long as I have and he just doesn't have game like that. Isiah was in the starting lineup for that reason and he did a tremendous job.”

Minot State held VanPelt to 12 under his scoring average and hit seven 3-pointers in each half to run away with a 91-75 win in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball Friday at the Minot State Dome.

The win is Minot State's sixth in their past 10 games and more importantly pulled the Beavers (8-11 overall, 7-8 NSIC) to within a game of both Bemidji State and Southwest Minnesota State for eighth place in the conference.

“I like where we are right now,” Murken said. “We moved the ball around very well tonight to find the open guy. Josh (MISU's Josh Johnson, Jr., F, Lufkin, Texas) had a big night and hadn't missed a shot in the first half, but late in the half, he still makes an extra pass and we knock down a 3.”

The Beavers made the extra pass all night, collecting 20 assists compared to just five turnovers.

Johnson finished with a season-high 21 points, going 9-for-13 in the game, and hitting both of his 3-point attempts. He also had eight rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal in the win.

After a solid start, the Golden Bears (4-15, 2-13) cooled off for a 40.6 percent shooting clip in the first half and finished hitting 43.8 percent. But the Beavers matched or exceeded that shooting much of the night, knocking down 53 percent in the first half and an impressive 57 percent in the second.

“We knew we could get some shots up against them, but the biggest thing for us was to stop their guards,” Murken said. “We needed to stay in front of them and make Terez take some tough shots. Isiah and our guards did that and we chased their other guards around pretty well.

“Shooting is contagious and so is playing good defense. Getting into stance, talking, rotating – it's the same as on offense. If you make that extra pass and someone knocks one down, that's contagious.”

Cole Olstad led a trio of CU players in double figures with 13. Cordell Smith scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds and Shea Mandli added 10 points and five boards. The Golden Bears held a 43-32 rebounding advantage.

Along with Johnson, three other MISU players reached double figures – all off the bench. Anthony Enriquez (Sr., G, Tacoma, Wash.) and Dominique McDonald (Fr., G, Raleigh, N.C.) poured in 17 points apiece and E.J. Williams (Jr., G, Raleigh, N.C.) added 12. McDonald finished with seven assists, while Enriquez and Williams had four assists each.

The Beavers will have to be sharp Saturday (6 p.m.) as No. 7 ranked Minnesota State comes to the Minot State Dome for the finale of a four-game home stand.