St. Cloud State
7-6,4-3NSIC
Northern State University
9-6,3-4NSIC
Huskies outlast Northern State in 84-80 win
12/18/2021 6:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Four players score double-digit points in the victory
ABERDEEN, S.D. – Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Not the St. Cloud State University men's basketball team. The Huskies ended their four-game losing streak against the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) most recent power: Northern State. Fueled by 20+ point performances from Anthony Roberts (Chicago, Ill. / Oak Park) and Caleb Donaldson (Bloomington, Ill. / Bloomington) St. Cloud State defeated the Wolves 84-80 in Aberdeen, South Dakota on Saturday, improving to 7-6 overall and 4-3 in conference play.
GAME SUMMARY
The first half was almost a tale of two different teams for St. Cloud State. The Huskies maintained and contained Northern State's early scoring attempts and entered the first media timeout deadlocked in a 7-7 draw. However, St. Cloud State's shooters went cold for a five minute stretch, while the Wolves got hot, resulting in a nine point lead and momentum swing for Northern State. The Huskies, though, gritted their way through the final 10 minutes of the first half, using a furious rally in the latter minutes to narrow the Wolves lead and enter the locker room at half trailing 38-34.
That was just a prequel for the second act, as St. Cloud State kicked and scrounged its way into the lead. After falling behind 45-38 with 17:10 remaining in regulation, it seemed like the writing was on the wall. The Huskies, though, rewrote the script, as Roberts and Luke Taylor (Germantown, Wis. / Germantown) pulled St. Cloud State within four at 49-45 then whittled it down to 49-48 with Roberts' layup and one. The Huskies would then proceed to take their first lead at 10:52, as a Roberts free throw secured a 55-54 advantage, but it was clear free throws would be a factor at the end of regulation. With the score deadlocked at 79-79 with 33 seconds remaining, St. Cloud State secured its victory with its biggest weakness: free throws. Roberts and Matthew Willert (Buffalo, Minn. / Buffalo) drained three in the closing seconds to secure the 84-80 victory for the Huskies.
TOP HUSKIES
- Anthony Roberts (Chicago, Ill. / Oak Park) was the top scorer on the court Saturday afternoon, leading the way with a season-high 29 points and just missed a triple-double thanks to his 13 boards and seven assists.
- Caleb Donaldson (Bloomington, Ill. / Bloomington) added 20 points in the victory, while both Luke Taylor (Germantown, Wis. / Germantown) and Matthew Willert (Buffalo, Minn. / Buffalo) scored in double-digits. Taylor added 13 points and six rebounds, while Willert contributed 12 points.
- Ryan Bagley (Pocatello, Idaho / Burley) closed the night with nine rebounds and six assists.
UP NEXT
St. Cloud State will enjoy a bit of a break over the holidays before returning to action on January 2. The Huskies will host Minnesota-Duluth at 2:00 p.m. in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Men's Basketball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
