Box Score MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University had four players – three in reserve roles – reach double figures as the Beavers snapped a six-game losing streak with a 78-59 win over Minnesota Crookston Friday at the Minot State Dome.

The Beavers (7-10 overall, 3-10 NSIC) outscored UMC (4-13, 1-12) 44-14 in bench points and limited the Golden Eagles to just eight first half field goals to get their first win of the calendar year.

""I thought we played with great energy and we got a big lift from our bench. Three seniors came in and gave us some great minutes and a ton of energy," said MISU head coach Matt Murken. "The last 10 minutes of that game we really guarded. They only scored 10 points in the last 10 minutes. Our offensive execution was sharp and we made the extra pass, ran the shot clock down and trusted one another that we were going to hit shots."

Outside of the first four minutes of each half, the Beavers controlled the contest. UMC grabbed a 9-8 on a layup by Derrick Redd with 16:04 to play in the first half, but MISU outscored the Golden Eagles 32-16 down the stretch.

The run was keyed by a Samuel Johnson (Sr., F, Las Vegas, Nev.), E.J. Williams (Sr., G, Raleigh, N.C.) – normally starters who each came off the bench Friday – and 6-foot-9 forward Lazar Boskovic (Jr., Belgrade, Serbia). The trio combined for 27 of the Beavers 40 points, including 13 points from Boskovic, as Minot State opened the big lead.

"With us, it's whoever is in there needs to play hard. It's all about Minot State, not about any given individual, regardless if he plays two minutes or 32minutes or even zero," Murken said. "It's about us getting victories. Our guys have to stay focused and just play as hard as you can and play as smart as you can."

UMC cut the 15-point halftime lead to six on another layup by Redd with 10:12 to play in the second half, but again Minot State responded. The Beavers outscored UMC 23-10 in the final 10 minutes for the win. Johnson added eight more in the second half and Thomas Korf (Jr., F, St. Cloud, Minn.) netted nine in the second half to keep the Beavers in the lead.

"We started the game with a lot of energy," Korf said. "We shot the ball well and played defense right away – I think that was the key."

While bench scoring was big for Minot State, so were second chance points – as well as rebounding in general. The Beavers held a big 21-8 advantage on second-chance points and outrebounded the Golden Eagles 40-29 overall, holding a 14-9 edge on the offensive glass.

UMC had three place in double figures led by Redd's 18 points. Brandon Burns scored 12 and Kevin Larson 10 in the loss.

Johnson led the Beavers with 16 points and added nine rebounds. Boskovic scored a season-high 14 points and pulled down five rebounds, while Williams and Isiah Gandy (Sr., G, West Palm Beach, Fla.) scored 11 apiece in the win.

Minot State finishes off a four-game home stand with Bemidji State Saturday at the Dome beginning at 6 p.m.