ST. CLOUD, MINN. – Coming back from a seven-point deficit once wasn't enough for the Minot State University men's basketball team against St. Cloud State.

The Beavers found themselves trailing by seven points twice late in the second half and almost came back both times. Trailing the by seven with 9:47 left in the game, MSU took the lead back going up 64-63 in less than three and a half minutes. SCSU went back up by seven at the 2:53 mark and twice Minot State put the game within three, but couldn't even up the score.

Eventually time ran out and St. Cloud State won the game 80-72 despite a double-double effort from sophomore standout Tyler Rudolph (F, Bismarck, N.D.). With 24 points and 12 rebounds it was the eighth time this season Rudolph completed the double-double and the ninth time a Beaver player had done it.

The other player on the MSU team to complete the task was Winston Williams (F, Sr., Plainfield, Ill.) who put up 18 points against the Huskies and rebounded five missed shots.

Twelve of Rudolph's 24 points came from three-point shots, which is where St. Cloud State was able to find success all night.

With seven shots from beyond the arch in the first half and six in the second, Minot State allowed 13 total 3s for the second time this season. The Huskies made 52 percent of their three-point attempts making it difficult for the Beavers to keep up, which isn't to say they didn't try.

MSU took a total of 24 shots from distance, just one fewer than SCSU, but only made eight of its attempts. Two of those makes came from Michael Pelo (G, Sr., Charleston, Utah) who totaled eight points on the night. Nathan Mertens (G, Jr., Devils Lake, N.D.), scoring 10 points also hit one three-pointer.

Minot State will play again on January 30 at Wayne State. The matchup is scheduled to tipoff at 5 p.m.

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.
– GO BEAVERS –