Mankato, Minn. ---   Special teams keyed Texas A&M-Commerce to a 31-21 victory at Minnesota State in an NCAA Division II quarterfinal play-off game played in Mankato Saturday.
 
The host Mavericks held a 367-360 advantage in total yards in the game, but the Lions booted three field goals and scored one of their touchdowns on a long punt return in picking up their third consecutive road postseason win. 
 
The Mavericks struck first in the game when senior wide receiver Ty Dennis hauled in a 36-yard pass from Ryan Schlichte at 12:29 of the first quarter to cap off a seven-play, 75-yard drive.
 
The Lions, who were playing their third consecutive road play-off contest after picking up wins at Winona State and Central Washington the two previous weekends, responded with a six-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown run from freshman running back E.J. Thompson at 5:56 of the first quarter.
 
Texas A&M-Commerce took its first lead right before the end of the opening period on a 37-yard field goal from Kristov Martinez, but Minnesota State kicker Casey Bednarski booted a 25-yard field goal at 11:50 of the second quarter to knot the score at 10-10. 

Martinez kicked a 35-yard field goal at 1:45 of the second with the Lions taking a 13-10 lead.  But at the 1:02 mark, the Mavericks recovered a fumbled punt return and capitalized two plays later when Dennis scored his second touchdown of the game, catching a 24-yarder from Schlichte to make it 16-13 in favor of the host school. The Mavericks went for two on the PAT and when Nate Gunn punched into the end zone for the successful conversion, Minnesota State took an 18-13 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
TAMUC found the end zone on an 80-yard punt return from Buck Wilson at 10:30 of the third quarter and when Carandal Hale ran the ball into the end zone on a successful two-point conversion attempt, the Lions took a 21-18 lead.
 
The Mavericks responded early in the fourth quarter. Set up by a 28-yard reception by Shane Zylstra, Bednarski kicked a 40-yard field goal to pull the Mavericks even at 21-21 at 13:09. But at 11:29 the Lions regained the lead for good on a 48-yard field goal by Martinez. Then, with 6:47 left in regulation,  Marquis Wimberly caught a 30-yard TD pass from Harlon Hill finalist Luis Perez on a drive that included seven plays and went 67 yards.  Danny Huckabee's interception of a Schlichte pass intended for Zylstra at the 0:59 mark sealed the win for the Lions.
 
The loss was the first of the year for Minnesota State and the Mavericks complete their season with a 13-1 record.  Texas A&M-Commerce, which upped its record to 12-1 for 2017, advances to the NCAA DII semi-finals with this afternoon's victory. 
 
Note:  Minnesota State senior running back Nate Gunn, who ran for 139 yards on 31 carries Saturday, established a Minnesota State single-season record with 1,550 rushing yards, surpassing Bernie Maczuga's record of 1490 yards set in 1968.