MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University showed it can win a close one.

The Beavers, stung by three-straight Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference losses by a total of four points, outscored Bemidji State 16-7 over the final 5:34 of the game to rally for a 77-73 win in NSIC men's basketball Saturday at the Minot State Dome.

"It was really nice to win a game like that, to get some key stops down the stretch," said MSU head coach Matt Murken. "We weren't great by any means offensively or defensively, but we found a way to get some key baskets and key stops and were good enough to get a big win over a good team."

Minot State (6-7 overall, 1-6 NSIC) was at its best defensively after BSU's Ben Best put Bemidji State up 66-61 with 5:34 to play. It capped a methodical 50-32 run after MSU opened a 13-point lead midway through the first half.  
But MSU held BSU to just one field goal in the final 5:34 and stuffed Bemidji on three straight possessions to finish the game.

"We struggled to get some stops when then made their run," Murken said. "(BSU) made some big shots – to their credit, some of them were tough ones at the end of the shot clock – and it affected our energy and our body language. But we got some stops when we needed them."

Minot State also found some shooting touch from beyond the arc late in the game. MSU was just 5 for 14 on 3-pointers overall, but Michael Pelo (Sr., G, Charleston, Utah) banked in a 3 – his third triple of the game – from the top of the key with 3:07 to play to tie the game at 73. Nathan Mertens (Jr., G, Devils Lake, N.D.) gave MSU a 73-70 lead on the next possession after Dominique McDonald (Sr., G, Raleigh, N.C.) kept the play alive with an offensive rebound, finding Mertens open on the wing at the 1:44 mark.

"Pelo gives us another guy who has been around and who is steady. The game is never too big or too small for him," Murken said of Pelo, who rejoined the team at the break due to the NCAA's 10 semester rule. "He spreads out defenses."

Best was a one-man wrecking crew for BSU (6-5, 3-4) at times in the second half, knocking down three 3-pointers despite hitting just three all season coming into the weekend. He finished with a game-high 24 points on a myriad of post moves and added five rebounds.

Minot State countered with a two-headed post presence of their own as Winston Williams (Sr., F, Plainfield, Ill.) scored 12 of his 16 in the first half and Tyler Rudolph (So., F, Bismarck, N.D.) hit all of his 17 in the second half. It was the first time this season MSU's leading scorer was held scoreless in a half, but he responded with 9 for 10 from the line – including four big free throws with less than a minute to play – and five rebounds.

"Both Winston and Tyler have the ability to score for us," said Murken. "Tyler got into a little foul trouble early in the first half, but what a second half for him. I looked down and couldn't believe he had 17 and 5. The guards got them in good spots for us."

Along with Best, Bemidji State got 17 from Irvin Womack and 10 from DJ Anderson. Womack had six rebounds for BSU, while Elijah Valdez scored seven points and dished out five assists in the loss. BSU hit just 56.3 percent from the line, getting outscored 24-9 on free throws.

Minot State had four in double figures as Rudolph and Williams were joined by Mertens (14) and Pelo (11). Mertens turned in another solid all-around performance with three assists, three rebounds and a steal, while McDonald scored seven, grabbed four rebounds and had two assists. The Beavers were 24 of 29 from the line and shot 56 percent from the field.

MSU will look to make it two in a row in conference and three wins overall as they play host to Minnesota Crookston Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Dome.

About Minot State
Minot State University is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II offering 14 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletics programs. The NSIC is a premier NCAA DII, 16-member conference featuring teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Beavers are the only public NCAA Division II institution in the state of North Dakota.