MINOT, N.D. – For the second straight game, Minot State University flexed its muscles on both ends of the court early in the second half.

And, for the second straight game, the Beavers rolled to a nonconference men's basketball win.

MSU outscored Valley City State 41-31 in the second half, holding the Vikings to just 33 percent shooting after the break to earn a 75-60 win in nonconference NCAA Division II play Tuesday at the Minot State Dome.

"I was happy with our ability to mix defenses on them and keep them out of rhythm," MSU head coach Matt Murken said. "We were good in the first half, but we allowed them to get to their sports too often. In the second half, we did a much better job of getting their percentage down and keeping them out of those spots.

"Consequently, we were able to get into transition off those misses and spread the game out a little."

The Beavers (4-2 overall) closed out its nonconference schedule with four-straight wins over former Dakota Athletic Conference rivals, each in a more convincing fashion. Minot State held it final two opponents, VCSU and Mayville State Sunday, to 60 or fewer points and averaged 84 points per game during a four-game winning streak.

"We have a lot of guys who can get the ball in the basket in a variety of ways," Murken said. "And we have a lot of guys who can pass the ball well. I thought we moved the ball in and out better in the second half and found the open guy – that's got to be a trademark of this team."

After leading by five at halftime, MSU quickly turned that into a double-digit lead – on a 3-pointer by Nathan Mertens three minutes into the half – and then a 20-plus lead – on a layup by Tyler Rudolph nine minutes in.

Rudolph was again very good on the offensive end, scoring a game-high 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and an assist.

"Teams have tried to guard him in different ways," Murken said of Rudolph. "He takes what the teams give him and tonight that was shots. We got him 18 shots. The past two games, they have doubled him just about every time and he had nine assists in those games."

Along with Rudolph, Stevan Jovanovic reached double figures with 12 points and added eight rebounds, three assists and a block.
"Steve has been really good for us and still has some things to learn," added Murken. "In games where I don't think he was at his best, he is still giving us 10 points and five rebounds, that's still pretty good."

VCSU (6-4) was led by Austin Dunbar's 18 points and eight rebounds. The Vikings shot 39.2 percent from the field, hitting just nine field goals in the second half.

Russ Davis and Nathaniel Moore both finished with nine points and Luis Ricci Maia and Mertens added seven each. Moore finished with four assists, while Maia and Jovanovic finished with three assists each. The Beavers held a commanding 39-25 lead on the boards.
MSU begins its conference schedule Saturday as the Beavers travel to rival University of Mary for a 6 p.m. tipoff.

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.