Box Score Mankato, Minn. --- To say that the 11^th-rated Minnesota State men’s basketball team was clicking Saturday evening would be an understatement, as the Mavericks dominated Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons throughout the whole 40 minutes of action as they claimed first place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference standings with an 87-64 victory.

With the win the Mavericks improved to 12-1 on the season and 8-1 in conference play. The Dragons fell to 13-2, with a 7-2 NSIC record.

The Mavericks had several players make significant contributions against the Dragons as five players reached at least 10 points in the scoring column. Senior Jarvis Williams did the most damage as he poured in 21 points on while shooting 7-of-11 from the
field.

Sophomore Zach Monaghan continued his torrid pace from the previous evening as he tallied 13 points, while dishing out six helpers and tallying three steals.

Junior Connor O’Brien and sophomore Assem Marei paced the Mavericks on the glass and also chipped in on offense as O’Brien added 10 points and eight rebounds, while Marei posted 15 points and seven rebounds. Junior Jimmy Whitehead also added 13 points.

Tyler Vaughn paced the Dragon offense with 21 points, while Anthony Tucker added 12. Eric Olson posted a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with six points.

The Mavericks did not waste any time as they built themselves a 10 point lead, at 14-4 just five minutes into the contest. The Mavericks would continue to extend their lead to as much as 22 points, before the Dragons managed to get back within 15 at 42-27 heading into the locker room.

Sophomore Zach Monaghan led all scorers in the first half with 13 points, while sophomore Assem Marei poured in 10 points of his own. Anthony Tucker led the Dragons with six points and six rebounds.

As a team, the Mavericks shot 51.7% (15-29) from the field compared to the Dragons 40% (12-30) from the field. The Mavericks also converted on 9-of-10 attempts from the charity strip.

The Mavericks begin a three-game road trip Tuesday as they travel to Concordia-St. Paul. The opening tip is set for 8 p.m.