Men's Basketball Knocks Off Wayne State College, 81-57, In First Round of NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament

Wednesday, February 21

8 p.m.

St. Cloud State

22-7

Wayne State College

14-17

Wayne State (Neb.)

St. Cloud State

Sean Smith

Photo by: Maddie MacFarlane

Men's Basketball Knocks Off Wayne State College, 81-57, In First Round of NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament

2/21/2018 11:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

St. Cloud, Minn. – The St. Cloud State men's basketball team (22-7) opened NSIC/Sanford Health Tournament action with a convincing 81-57 victory over Wayne State College (14-17) on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at Halenbeck Hall.

Junior Brindley Theisen led the team with 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field. He also went 4-for-7 from three-point range and had four rebounds. Junior Gage Davis recorded 18 points and seven rebounds plus four assists. Senior Jon Averkamp totaled 17 points, four rebounds and three steals. Junior Sean Smith picked up 10 points and five rebounds plus four assists. Senior Andy Foley totaled 10 points, six rebounds, a block and two assists. Junior Adam Heede-Andersen dished out four assists. Sophomore Trevon Marshall totaled three assists and three steals.

Wayne State College had three players in double figures. Trevin Joseph totaled 13 points. Jordan Cornelius picked up 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Vance Janssen had 11 points and two steals. Tony Bonner had five points. Kendall Jacks recorded eight points and two steals.

The Huskies shot 58.2 percent from the field (32-for-55), 53.3 percent from three-point range (8-for-15) and 75 percent from the free throw line (9-for-12). The team also had 31 rebounds, 22 assists, nine steals and four blocks. Wayne State shot 43.6 percent from the field (24-for-55), 9.1 percent from three-point range (1-for-11) and 88.9 percent from the line (8-for-9). The Wildcats had 27 rebounds, 10 assists, six steals and one block.

St. Cloud State led 39-28 at the half and also held a 42-29 advantage in the final 20 minutes of action. The game featured three tied scores and two lead changes. Wayne State held an early eight-point lead at the 15:00 mark of the first half, 12-4, but an SCSU 6-0 rally tied the game up at 12 all. St. Cloud then took the lead for good on a made three from Theisen at the 10:05 mark, 15-12. SCSU saw their lead grow to as much as 24 with 00:52 remaining in the game on a made free throw from junior Ryan Wynn, 81-57, in what would be the final score.

St. Cloud State men's basketball team, the number two seed in the North Division, continues play in the NSIC/Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament and takes on number three seed in the South Division Sioux Falls on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 8 p.m. at the Pentagon.

Notes:
- The team is 22-3 when scoring 69 or more points.
- The program has won 20 of the last 24 games.
- The team ended its season 13-2 at Halenbeck Hall this season including 11 straight wins at home.
- Gage Davis, with 18 points against WSC, has now scored in double figures in 20 of the 21 games that he has played in this season.
- The team is 17-4 when Davis plays this year.
- Brindley Theisen's 21 points against Wayne State was his 19th game this year and eighth time in the last nine games that he has gotten into double figures.
- His 21 points was his fourth time this season getting 20 or more points in a game.
- It was the seventh time he has led or tied for the team lead in scoring this season.
- Jon Averkamp's 17 points against the Wildcats was his 25th game this season in double figures.
- Sean Smith's 10 points was his 19th game in double figures this season.
- Andy Foley's 10 points was his sixth game this season and 19th game in his career in double figures.
- The team's 58.2 percent shooting from the field against Wayne was the 12th time in last 14 games that the program has shot 50 percent or high
- The Huskies are 22-3 all-time against Wayne State including 11 wins in a row.
- The team's 22 wins on the campaign is the most since the 2009-10 season when that program picked up 29 games.
- The team won a game in the NSIC Tournament for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons and are 13-7 all-time in NSIC Tournament games.