Aberdeen, S.D.—The University of Minnesota Crookston men's basketball team was looking to pull off their biggest upset in program history as they took on No. 2 Northern State inside Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, S.D. Parker Fox and his 29 points proved to be too much for the Golden Eagles, as the Wolves defeated the Golden Eagles, 86-67.
With the win, the Wolves improve to 5-0 (3-0 NSIC North), while the Golden Eagles fall to 1-4 overall (0-3 NSIC North).
Key Plays
The Golden Eagles got off to a quick start with the help of their two Oregonians,
Leonard Dixon (Jr., G, Demascus, Ore.), who buried a three-pointer and
Ethan Channel (Jr., G, Beaverton, Ore.) who scored two of his team-leading 18 points.
The Golden Eagles would extend their lead to as big as eight midway through the first half after buckets from
Quintin Winterfeldt (So., G, Waupun, Wis.) and a three from
Ibu Jassey Demba (Sr., F, Birmingham, England) to make it a 22-14 lead.
Josh Dilling (Fr., G, Oshkosh, Wis.) would bury a jumper to give the Golden Eagles a 24-21 lead, but the Wolves would take their first lead of the game at 27-24.
The Golden Eagles would cut the lead to 33-32 after a Channel three. The Wolves would take a 41-34 lead into the half.
Coming out of halftime, the Wolves would show their muscle to extend their lead to 12, 48-36. The Golden Eagles would fight back after another Channel three and a Dixon jumper.
A
Morgan Carter (Jr., F, Porthcawl, Wales) jumper would cut the Wolves lead to 63-55 with 9:38 left in the game, but that would be the closest the Golden Eagles would get, falling 86-67.
Key Stats
Once again, the Golden Eagles would get good balance offensively, led by Channel's 18 points. It's the third straight game in double-figures for the junior from Oregon. Dilling scored a career-high 13 points while collecting eight rebounds. Dixon continued his scoring prowess, scoring 12 points. Carter and Jassey Demba each added eight for the Golden Eagles, while
Brian Sitzmann (R-Jr., F, Savage, Minn.) added six.
The Golden Eagles outrebounded the Wolves 30-28. Minnesota Crookston shot 41.7 percent from the floor, while the Wolves shot 53.8 percent from the field.
What's Next
The Golden Eagles will do battle once again with the No. 2 Wolves tomorrow night at 4 p.m., from Wachs Arena in Aberdeen.