Box Score MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University rallied from down by as many as 19 points in the second half, but Southwest Minnesota State scored the final five points of the game to escape with a 75-72 win in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball Saturday at the Minot State Dome.

The Beavers (8-16 overall, 4-16 NSIC) took a 72-70 lead on free throws by E.J. Williams (Sr., G, Raleigh, N.C.) with 1:06 to play, but SMSU (16-10, 13-7) countered with free throws by William Giddings with 43 seconds.

"We really battled back there in the second half and we started to play desperate which raised our intensity level," said MISU head coach Matt Murken. "We tried to get into our press and we showed we could have some success in it, forcing turnovers, but we had to be playing hard and executing in our press. They won the last three possessions of the game but prior to that we won about 15-of-20 possessions but just dug ourselves too big of a hole."

Minot State was called for a shot clock on its ensuing possession and Giddings made the Beavers pay with a long 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds to give the Mustangs the lead.
SMSU pushed a 13-point halftime lead into a 19-point bulge on a jumper by Vinard Birch with 11:07 to play in the second half.

But the Beavers didn't go away. MISU countered the run with a hoop by Chris East (Sr., F, Toronto, Ontario) to ignite a 30-11 run by the Beavers. It was capped by a 3-pointer by Williams with 2:11 to play to tie the game at 70. Williams led all scorers woth 26 points.

"I am really proud of the way this team battled and clawed back after falling behind," Murken said. "We really executed down the stretch to get back in the game and even take the lead. They just made the plays in the final minute to get the win."

Giddings led the Mustangs with 20 points and five rebounds. Shaun Condon added 14 points and Mitch Weg added 10 points and seven points in the win.

Williams hit 5 of 6 3-pointers on his way to 26 points and added four assists and three rebounds. Thomas Korf (Jr., F, St. Cloud, Minn.) added 13 points and three rebounds, while East and Samuel Johnson (Sr., F, Las Vegas, Nev.) scored 12 and 10 points respectively. East paced the Beavers with eight rebounds in the loss.

Minot State will finish off the regular season with a road trip to Minnesota State University Moorhead and Northern State Friday and Saturday.