Men’s Basketball Falls to MSU Moorhead, 87-82

Saturday, January 21

Moorhead, Minn.

6:15 p.m.

St. Cloud State

14-9, 10-4NSIC

Minnesota State University Moorhead

17-3, 12-2

St. Cloud State

MSU Moorhead

Scottie Stone

Photo by: Tom Nelson

1/21/2017 9:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Moorhead, Minn. – The St. Cloud State men's basketball team (14-9, 10-4 NSIC) battled until the last possession before coming up short in an 87-82 loss to first place MSU Moorhead (17-3, 12-2 NSIC) on Saturday, Jan. 21, on the road at Alex Nemzek Hall.

Redshirt sophomore Gage Davis and senior Scottie Stone combined for 50 of the team's 82 points in the loss. Davis also picked up 12 rebounds plus three assists and two steals. It was his eighth double-double of the season. Davis shot 8-for-14 from the field, hit 3-of-6 threes plus 4-of-5 free throws. Stone hit five threes plus both his free throws attempts while also totaling four assists and three rebounds. Junior Jon Averkamp also reached double figures for the third time in as many games with 15 points along with six rebounds and five assists. Andy Foley totaled nine points and nine rebounds.

Ayob Ayob scored a game-high 31 points in the win for the Dragons. He also picked up 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Ayob shot 8-for-14 from the field, 4-for-6 from three-point range and 11-for-13 free throws. His made and attempted free throws were more than the entire SCSU team in the game. Three other MSU Moorhead players reached double figures as Aaron Lien recorded 15 points, Johnny Beeninga put up 12 points and Tanner Kretchman scored 11 plus had eight assists.

MSU Moorhead State, who came into the game as the top shooting team in the NSIC, lived up the billing in shooting 50.9 percent from the field (28-for-55) and 50 percent from three-point range (12-for-24). The Huskies shot 43.8 percent from the field (32-for-73) and 33.3 percent from three-point range (9-for-27). The game featured 10 tied scores and three lead changes. SCSU held a five-point lead at the break, 41-36, but were outscored by 10 in the last 20 minutes of action, 51-41. St. Cloud State's largest lead was 10 points with 7:37 remaining in the opening half on Davis' made layup. MSU Moorhead's largest lead was six with just under six minutes remaining in the game.

The second half's final tie at 79 came on Stone's made three with 3:37 remaining in the game. Beeninga then hit a three on the ensuing possession to put the Dragons up for good. The Huskies countered with a made Davis jumper to creep to within one, 83-82, with 1:51 remaining. The door was left open for much of the last two minutes with the Huskies forcing two turnovers and seeing the Dragons miss a pair of free throws, but SCSU offense couldn't capitalize as the program missed a three and jumper plus turned the ball over once before the MSU Moorhead closed things out with four made free throws in the final 10 seconds to make the final score 87-82.

The Huskies next return home to take on Wayne State College on Friday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. at Halenbeck Hall

Notes
- Gage Davis has now led the team in scoring in 18 of the 23 games.
- Davis' 29 points was his 10th game this season scoring more than 25 points and the 16th time in his career that he has hit the mark.
-Davis' double-double was his eighth of the season and the 10thh of his career.
- Jon Averkamp has scored in double figures in 13 games this season and 26 times in his career.
- Stone's 21 points was his 11th time with more than 20 points in a game this season and the 31st time he has topped the mark in his career.
- The team has now lost two in a row for the first time since early November when the program started the season with four straight losses.