ST. CLOUD, Minn. (Dec. 30, 2016) – Minot State University built a five-point halftime lead, but cold shooting in the second slowed the Beavers as St. Cloud State rallied for an 82-71 win in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball Saturday at Halenbeck Hall.
 
The Beavers (6-7 overall, 2-5 NSIC) led by as many as nine points after hitting five 3s in the first half. It was still a five-point lead at half after MSU weathered an SCSU  (9-6, 5-1 NSIC) run, but the Beavers' offense disappeared for a stretch in the second half. The cold shooting affected all aspects of MSU's game, hitting just 34 percent from the field, 64 percent from the line and just 18 percent on 3s.
 
"It was a very gritty effort from our guys," said MSU head coach Matt Murken. "We played a great first half, but ran into a cold stretch in the second half. Our defense wasn't quite as sharp and we missed too may open looks and free throws to maintain the lead."
 
Over the first 30 minutes, MSU did a decent job on SCSU's top two scorers, Gage Davis and Scottie Stone. But after a big second half, the duo hurt the Beavers as they combined for 50 points and 22 rebounds. Davis was especially good, finishing with a double-double of 38 points and 17 rebounds. Stone added 22 points in the win.
 
Nathan Mertens hit nine free throws to finish with 17 points to lead the Beavers. He added five assists and three rebounds for MSU. Stevan Jovanovic finished with 13 points, while Trevor Rothstein scored all 11 of his points in the first half and added seven rebounds.
 
The loss spoiled a milestone for MSU's Tyler Rudolph and foul trouble kept him from another. Rudolph finished with a team-high 10 rebounds and reached 500 for his career. He scored nine points before fouling out to sit at 997 points for his career.
 
"I love the effort of our team but we need to find another gear to win tough games on the road," Murken said.
 
MSU will look to get back on track Saturday night as they finish 2016 on the road at Minnesota Duluth.
 
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.