St. Cloud State
11-17,7-13NSIC
Wayne State College
14-12,11-9NSIC
Huskies advance to NSIC / Sanford Health quarterfinal with OT win at Wayne State
2/23/2022 8:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Men's basketball beats Wayne State 100-98 in overtime
ST. CLOUD, MINN. – Overtime has not been kind to the St. Cloud State University men's basketball team all season long. That is, it wasn't until Wednesday evening. The Huskies pulled off an upset in the opening round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) / Sanford Health Tournament, defeating Wayne State 100-98 in overtime to advance to the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. With the win, St. Cloud State improves to 11-17 overall.
GAME SUMMARY
The Huskies were on fire against the Wildcats, as they jumped out to a 47-38 lead over Wayne State entering the locker room at halftime. Reigning NSIC North Division Player of the Week Anthony Roberts (Chicago, Ill. / Oak Park) played a key role in St. Cloud State's first half success, scoring 15 points and added seven rebounds in the opening 20 minutes of play. Fellow junior Caleb Donaldson (Bloomington, Ill. / Bloomington) scored 10 first half points, while Cameron Alexander (Hazelhurst, Mississippi / Hazelhurst) added six by going 2-3 from three-point range.
The Huskies continued to score in the second half, adding 39 points to their side of the scoreboard in the second half. However, the Wildcats also scored a lot of points in the final 20 minutes of play, eventually pulling within one point of St. Cloud State's lead at 64-63. Still, the Huskies maintained their one point advantage and clung to a 77-76 lead with exactly 2:50 remaining in regulation. That was when things took a turn, and seemingly not in a good direction for St. Cloud State. Wayne State went on an offensive scoring run, going up 84-81 with 19 seconds remaining in regulation. Though the Huskies managed to pull within one, they were forced to foul with eight seconds left, allowing the Wildcats to take an 86-83 lead.
That was when the magic happened. With time running out, Roberts heaved a shot from deep beyond the arc. St. Cloud State and Wayne State fans alike held their collective breath as his shot glided through the basket, sending the game into overtime with the two teams deadlocked at 86-86. From that point on, it was a battle of wits, as the Huskies and Wildcats battled for supremacy. St. Cloud State eventually gained it with exactly .5 seconds remaining in the game. Seeing an open lane, Ryan Bagley (Pocatello, Idaho / Burley) drove for the basket, racing time and Wayne State's defenders for the victory. With milliseconds remaining, the senior lifted the ball to the basket and watched as it fell through the net as time expired, securing the 100-98
TOP HUSKIES
- Anthony Roberts (Chicago, Ill. / Oak Park) was sensational for St. Cloud State as he led the game with 34 points on 12-20 shooting and added 12 rebounds to boot.
- Caleb Donaldson (Bloomington, Ill. / Bloomington) added 24 points in the victory and tallied a career-high nine assists.
- In addition to scoring the game-winning basket, Ryan Bagley (Pocatello, Idaho / Burley) tallied 12 points in the victory with six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Matthew Willert (Buffalo, Minn. / Buffalo) also added 11 points in the victory.
UP NEXT
St. Cloud State will advance to the quarterfinal round of the NSIC / Sanford Health Tournament, which will take place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Huskies will face the No. 2 seed in the North, MSU-Moorhead, at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 27. More information, including ticket prices, will be available in the upcoming days.
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.
