Box Score Mankato, Minn. --- The Minnesota State men’s basketball team – ranked fifth in the nation – overcame a slow start to down Minnesota Duluth, 79-65, Saturday evening in front of a McPacked Taylor Center crowd of 3,921. The crowd marked the fifth-largest to see a men’s basketball game in the building.
Junior wing Jefferson Mason paced the squad with an 18-point, 13-rebound performance, marking his eighth double-double of the season and the 10th by a Maverick this year.
Minnesota State started the game off with a flurry of points as four Mavericks scored the squads first nine points as MSU opened a 9-4 lead. UMD then slowed down the pace, taking its first lead at 11-10 with 12:22 remaining in the half. From that point on, the two teams would trade four leads and ties as Minnesota State opened a 31-25 edge at the break.
The Mavericks finished the opening half shooting 43.5 percent from the floor, while holding the Bulldogs to 30 percent. UMD connected on just 1-of-12 three points attempts in the first half.
“It may have been ugly, but it was a win,” said head coach Matt Margenthaler. “We battled and pulled one out. Now we must turn our attention to Minnesota, Crookston.”
Second half started just as slow and deliberate as the first did as UMD cut the lead to 41-37 with 14 minutes and 25 seconds remaining.
Both team’s traded three-point baskets, the Mavericks found senior center Travis Nelson in the paint for a lay-up, extending its lead to 46-40 and forcing a Bulldog timeout. UMD exited the time out, promptly turning the ball over and the Mavericks capitalized as Nelson converted a traditional three-point play to give MSU a nine-point lead with 12:49 remaining.
The Maverick defense helped push the Maverick lead also as it went on a 17-5 run, forcing UMD without a field goal for 6:38 as Minnesota State pulled away.
Four Mavericks finished in double-figures led by Nelson who poured in 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Senior guard Jesse Clark had 12 points and junior guard Marcus Hill contributed 11.
Minnesota State shot 43.9 percent from the floor and limited UMD to 37.0 percent for the game, including an icy, 16.7 percent from outside the three-point line (3-of-18).
The Mavericks racked up 42 points in the paint and off the bench in the victory.
Minnesota State (19-1, 12-1 NSIC) host Minnesota, Crookston, Friday at 8 p.m.
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