MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University scored 51 second-half points and hit 10 straight free throws in the final minute of play to pull away from Bemidji State 79-71 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men's basketball Friday at the Minot State Dome.

MSU (9-10 overall, 5-8 NSIC) shrugged off a slow start to outscore BSU 51-43 in the second half. Minot State hit six second-half 3-pointers and knocked down 13 of 16 free throws overall.

"I wish we could have been a little sharper in the first half, we had too many turnovers and missed some shots. But in the second, we score 51 and only had two turnovers and it was a lot more like who we are on offense," MSU head coach Matt Murken said. "I thought a lot of guys had a really good effort for us."

While the Beavers picked it up on the offensive end, it was a huge defensive play that helped stave off any comeback attempts by BSU. MSU's Nathan Mertens drew the key offensive foul with 1:15 to play with Minot State holding a 69-65 lead. He was fouled 18 seconds later and made both free throws to put MSU up by six and was the first two of 10 straight makes for Minot.

"Nate had a great defensive game overall against a good offensive player and made a great play for us on the defensive end," Murken said. "We ask him to guard the other team's best player every night and does a pretty go job of it every night. He's the engine that makes us go."

The key defensive stop came just after a flurry of scoring by MSU keyed by Luis Ricci Maia. BSU tied the game at 61 on a Jai'Voinne layup with 3:24 to play, but Minot State answered with an 8-2 run.

It started with a 3-pointer by Nathaniel Moore on an assist from Maia and ended with a jumper by Maia sandwiched around a triple by Trevor Rothstein from the corner also assisted by the junior guard.

"Nate didn't have a good first half, but hit a really big shot," Murken said. "And Trevor is kind of a big shot maker. No moment is too big for him and that gets him into trouble sometimes, but it is who he is and he has made some big ones for us lately."

BSU (6-12, 4-9) stayed in the game with solid offensive rebounding, pulling down 11 including four by Ben Best, who led Bemidji with 20 points and eight boards.

But MSU countered with its own offensive rebounding by Tyler Rudolph and Stevan Jovanovic who combined for six of the Beavers 10 total. Rudolph finished with 10 rebounds total and 20 points for another double-double to pace Minot State. Jovanovic added 14 points and six rebounds.

Sharif Black (13), Green (12) and Logan Bader (10) joined Best in double figures for BSU in the loss. Minot State held BSU to just 21 percent from beyond the arc, making just 4 of 19 in the game.

Mertens hit four free throws and knocked down a 3-pointer on his way to 15 points. Russ Davis and Moore finished with seven apiece, while Rothstein added six. Maia finished with eight points, five assists and three rebounds for Minot State in the win.

The Beavers will finish off the weekend homestand with a 6 p.m. matchup with Minnesota Crookston.

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.