Box Score Mankato, Minn.— Minnesota State senior guard Marcus Hill turned in his second consecutive 20-plus point performance as he scored 22 points to guide 12th-ranked MSU to a 69-59 victory Upper Iowa Saturday evening.
Hill’s offense helped MSU turn a 10-point deficit with 10:32 remaining into the win. Additionally, the Mavericks held Upper Iowa without a field goal for the final 5:28 of the contest to secure the win.
“Marcus came up huge for us down the stretch tonight,” said head coach Matt Margenthaler. “But it wasn’t just him. Our bench came in and gave us great minutes tonight. We had to grind to win, but at the end of the day, it’s one more win in the column.”
The Peacocks led for the majority of the first half as they scored 13 of the games first 17 points.
Minnesota State used a 7-2 run – with all seven points scored by senior guard Cameron Hodges – to cut the deficit to 19-17 with seven minutes and 37 seconds remaining in the half.
Upper Iowa responded with a 19-9 run to close out the half, pushing a 38-26 halftime edge, the largest halftime deficit MSU has faced at home this season.
The Peacocks hit on 63.6 percent of their opportunities in the first half while limiting MSU to 37 percent, including 0-of-5 from beyond the three-point line. Hodges and redshirt freshman Jimmy Whitehead lead MSU in scoring in the first half each scoring eight points.
The Mavericks opened the second half with a 6-1 run cutting the UIU lead to 39-33 following a layup by Hill.
After the Peacocks reopened a double-digit lead the Mavericks came storming back. Trailing 53-43 with
10:32 remaining MSU used a 16-5 run to take the lead at 59-58 with 5:14 remaining. The run was sparked by Hill who poured in nine points during the spurt.
From that point on the Maverick defense took over to ice the win.
Hill finished the night connecting on 6-of-11 shots, including 3-of-6 from downtown. He also hauled in four rebounds and passed out five assists in the victory.
Senior wing Jefferson Mason added his fourth double-double of the year as he scored 16 points and hauled in 10 rebounds while Hodges and Whitehead each scored 12.
The Mavericks limited the Peacocks to just 21.4 percent shooting from the floor in the second half as they finished shooting 40 percent.
Minnesota State won the battle of the boards, 36-35, including 10-7 on the offensive end turning those ten offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points. MSU also forced 18 turnovers in the win.
The Mavericks (17-2, 13-2 NSIC) hit the road for five of their next seven games as they open the month of February next Friday at Augustana. Tip is set for 8 p.m.
To view the stats, click HERE
To listen to coach Margenthaler following the game, click HERE
Redshirt freshman Jimmy Whitehead talks about the win:
Senior Jefferson Mason goes in for another highlight reel dunk
