Men's Basketball
Men's Basketball
Men's Basketball vs. Minnesota Duluth: SCSU 72, UMD 59
MEN’S BASKETBALL: Second Half Surge Propels Huskies Past Bulldogs, 72-59
Friday, February 6, 2009
Andrew Bernstetter scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half to lead SCSU to the 72-59 comeback win over Minnesota Duluth. |
St. Cloud, Minn. – The St. Cloud State men’s basketball team used a 48-point second half to offset a 24-point first half as they won for the third straight time, and avenged their earlier season loss to Minnesota Duluth with their 72-59 victory in Halenbeck Hall this evening, Feb. 6.
The Huskies (15-6, 10-4) returned the favor to the Bulldogs (15-9, 9-5), as each team won on their home court in the season series. SCSU outscored UMD 48-32 in the second half, to erase a 24-27 halftime deficit. Andrew Bernstetter (St. Joseph, Minn.) led all scorers in the period with 12 points, on his way to 14 on the night. Taylor Witt (Morris, Minn.) scored a game high 17 points, which included an 8-for-8 tally at the free throw line. Witt also played all 40 minutes of the contest.
The Bulldogs carried a three-point lead out of halftime, and a three-pointer by Steve Klass less than 30 seconds in extended the lead 30-24 at the 19:36 mark. That, however, would be the biggest lead the Bulldogs could manage as the Huskies scored eight of the next 10 points to tie the score at 32-all with 16:41 left to play.
The two teams traded scores until it was tied again at 36-36 at the 16:04 mark, before the teams went into a three minute scoring drought. A bevy of missed shots and blocks filled the floor until the Bulldogs Ron White was able to get his squad back on the board at the 12:57 mark, before the Huskies Jesse Fisher (Pequot Lakes, Minn.) tied it back up at 38-38 with his jumper in the paint with 12:40 to go.
A Fisher free throw capped the three-point play, and the Huskies had their first lead since late in the first half. The play would begin a Husky run that saw SCSU outscore their guests 13-1 over a 4:31 span that ended with a picture-perfect Witt to Bernstetter alley-oop dunk to give the Huskies a 49-39 lead with 8:26 left to play.
A minor scare came with 2:49 left when two Klass free throws got the Bulldogs within four at 58-54, but the Huskies quickly pushed the lead back to eight, as they closed the game on 12 consecutive free throws made to provide the final 72-59 margin.
In what was a times a very physical game, the two teams combined for 36 fouls, with SCSU outshooting UMD at the line 78.6%-to-57.9%. The Huskies also outshot the Bulldogs from the floor, 45.1%-to-39.3%, including a 52.0%-to-36.7% margin in the second half.
In addition to his 14 points, Bernstetter also added a team high eight rebounds and tied a SCSU record (with seven others) with six steals. Witt pitched in seven assists to his 17 points. Matt Schenck (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) was the final Husky in double-figures as he finished with 13.
UMD was led by three players with 15 points each, including Klass, Brian Sykora, and John Vaudreuil. Sykora hauled in 16 rebounds, one off his NSIC season high mark of 17.
The win was also the 230th of Head Coach Kevin Schlagel’s career, leaving him just one shy of tying former coach – and current NSIC commissioner – Butch Raymond for the all-time SCSU record of 231. SCSU moves into a second place tie in the league standings at 10-4 with Minnesota State and Winona State.
The Huskies will try for their fourth straight tomorrow when they host Bemidji State at 8:00 pm. SCSU fell on the road to Bemidji State on Jan. 10, 66-69.
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