RAPID CITY, SD -- Caleb Van De Griend notched a double-double to help the Minot State men's basketball team defeat the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers 63-56 on the road Friday.

The Beavers (8-0) had two players score in double figures, with Van De Griend putting together a double-double of 28 points and 11 rebounds. Jalen Cook added 16 points and Sam West recorded 6 points.

Led by Van De Griend's 6 offensive rebounds, Minot State did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 10 boards that resulted in 23 second chance points.

The Minot State defense caused its share of mistakes in Friday's game, forcing 14 South Dakota Mines turnovers while committing 10. Those takeaways turned into 20 points on the offensive end of the floor. Daryl Rice Jr led the way individually for the Beavers with 4 steals, who stood out in head coach Matt Murken's eyes from a defensive standpoint.

"Tonight was a grind it out win. That's our first true road game so it's great to see the guys battle and find a way to win," Murken said.

"Daryl Rice had a great game for us and really set the tone for us defensively. Good teams have great Senior leadership, and Daryl did that for us tonight," Murken reiterated as he gave props to the Beaver guard.

Nothing came easy tonight in a gritty style of game where the Beavers were able to pull away late after a great start shooting by the Rockers.

How It Happened
After falling behind 14-6, Minot State went on an 8-0 run with 14:04 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Jaden Wysocki, to tie the game at 14. South Dakota Mines then pulled ahead, sending the Beavers into halftime down 29-28.

South Dakota Mines kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 33-30 advantage before Minot State went on an 8-0 run to seize a 38-33 lead with 16:22 to go in the contest. The Beavers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 63-56 win. Minot State capitalized on 7 South Dakota Mines turnovers in the frame, collecting 14 points off those turnovers.
 
Game Notes
» Caleb Van De Griend notched an impressive double-double for the Beavers with 28 points and 11 rebounds.
» Caleb Van De Griend, Jalen Cook, and Sam West combined to account for 79 percent of the Beavers points.
» The Minot State defense forced 14 turnovers.
» The Beavers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying 5 blocks as a team.
» Minot State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Caleb Van De Griend led the Beavers with a game-high 28 points.
» Minot State got a game-high 11 rebounds from Caleb Van De Griend.
 
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.