BEMIDJI, Minn. – A strong defensive effort helped the Minnesota State University Moorhead men’s basketball team to a 68-53 win over Bemidji State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Friday night in Bemidji, Minn.
MSUM, which ended a three-game losing streak with the victory, is now 7-6 overall and 2-2 in the NSIC while Bemidji State fell to 4-4 overall and 1-3 in the league.
The Dragons held the Beavers to 37.7 percent (23-of-61) shooting for the game, including just 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) from three. The 53 points MSUM surrendered were a season low.
Junior guard Gavin Baumgartner led MSUM with 16 points while junior guard Lorenzo McGhee added 12. Sophomore forward Dane Zimmer led with 10 rebounds. Baumgartner, junior forward Siman Sem and freshman guard Jacob Beeninga had two assists each. Sem led with three steals.
MSUM led by four at halftime, and then held a 36-33 lead with 17:58 left in the game before going on an 11-1 run to push the lead to 47-33 with 12:57 left. Baumgartner and Sem had four points each during the run while junior forward Jaden Stanley-Williams hit a three. The Dragons held Bemidji State without a point for 5:20 during that stretch.
A McGhee basket with 10:33 left pushed the lead to 53-37 which was MSUM’s largest of the night.
Bemidji State cut into the lead and was within 60-53 with 2:41 left after a Mohamed Kone three but the Dragons ended the game on an 8-0 run to pull away for the 15-point win.
Stanley-Williams had nine points off the bench for MSUM. McGhee added seven rebounds.
MSUM is at Minnesota Crookston on Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. game.
Game Recap: Men’s Basketball | 12/10/2021 7:42:00 PM | Tom Berg
