Aberdeen, S.D. – Minnesota Crookston had four players in double-digits as they were able to hold off Midwestern State (TX), 68-60 on Saturday night in Wachs Arena.
The Golden Eagles sweep the weekend at the Dacotah Bank Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Northern State and move their winning streak to three.
The maroon and gold improve to 4-3 on the season.
Both teams would be scoreless through the first minute and a half, but Jalin Brown would bury a three to give the Mustangs a 3-0 lead. The Golden Eagles would answer with a
Zen Goodridge (R-Jr., C, Orlando, Fla.) tip-in to cut the lead to one.
Leonard Dixon (R-Jr., G, Demascus, Ore.) would bury a three from the right wing to give the Golden Eagles a 5-3 lead.
The Mustangs would lead 11-7, but
Sam Tiley (Jr., F, Fort Collins, Colo.) would score three the old-fashioned way to cut the MSU lead to 11-10.
MSU would then take a 15-11 lead, but
Ethan Channel (R-Jr., G, Beaverton, Ore.) would score five straight points to take the Golden Eagles a 16-15 lead.
The Golden Eagles would take the lead for good, using an 8-0 run, including two straight buckets in the paint from
Nathaniel Powell (R-So., C, Nottingham, England) to take a 24-18 lead.
Brian Sitzmann (R-Sr., G, Savage, Minn.) would bury a right wing three and Powell would make a layup in the closing seconds to send the Golden Eagles into the halftime break up by eight, 29-21.
The Golden Eagles would come out of the locker room and score seven of the half's first 11 points, including the first points from
Uzo Dibiamaka (R-So., G, Adelaide, South Australia) on a three. The Golden Eagles would stretch their lead to 11.
MSU would cut the Golden Eagle lead to just three, after Amaechi Chukwu banked in a three from the top of the key.
Sitzmann would bury a huge three to halt the 9-0 Mustang run to extend the lead back to six.
Channel would bury a three, while Powell and Sitzmann would make layups to give the Golden Eagles their largest lead of the night at 13.
Once again, the Mustangs would fight back and cut the lead to just five, but Dibiamaka would bury a three right in front of his bench to stretch the Golden Eagle lead back to eight.
The Mustangs would once again cut the lead to 60-54, but Dixon would make a three with the shot clock winding down to effectively end the game, giving the Golden Eagles back their nine point lead.
Minnesota Crookston would make free throws at the end of the game to close out the Mustangs, 68-60.
Channel led the way for the Golden Eagles with 14, while Dibiamaka had 12, all of which came in the second half. Sitzmann and Powell each finished with 11. It was the first double-figure scoring game for Powell. Goodridge and Dixon finished with eight and seven points, respectively.
For the sixth time in seven games, the Golden Eagles won the rebounding battle, 43-42.
The Golden Eagles shot 43.4 percent from the field and was 10-24 from deep, good for 41.7 percent.
The Golden Eagles held the Mustangs to 30.3 percent shooting, the third straight game that the Golden Eagles have held opponents under 35 percent from the field.
The Golden Eagles will look to continue their winning streak, as they host NSIC foe St. Cloud State on Thursday night at 5:30 P.M., from Gary Senske Court at Lysaker Gymnasium. Autographs from both the men and women will follow both games.
