SIOUX FALLS – Despite 20 points from sophomore guard Mack Johnson, The University of Sioux Falls men's basketball team (7-14, 4-11 NSIC) dropped a 74-70 decision to Minnesota-Duluth (11-10, 8-7 NSIC) on Friday night at the Stewart Center.

It was really a tale of two halves between USF and UMD. The Cougars dominated the first half by a 36-22 edge but was outscored, 52-to-34 , by the Bulldogs in the second half.

After falling behind by double digits at halftime, the Bulldogs responded with a hot shooting half to rally past USF. In the second stanza, the Bulldogs made 13-of-24 from the field for 54.2 percent and 6-of-10 from three-point range. One of the keys to UMD's comeback was a decided edge in free throw shooting. UMD hit 22-of-24 for the game with 20-of-22 coming in the second half. USF hit just 5-of-10 with just 2-of-5 coming in the second half.

“We did enough to win for 30 minutes but didn't get it done in the second half,” said USF head men's basketball coach Chris Johnson, whose team lost for the seventh straight game. “They shot the ball really well in the second half. We have to find a way to get over the hump. We will keep working and battling,” he said.

For the fourth straight game, sophomore guard Mack Johnson led the team in scoring as he had 20 points as he hit 7-of-15 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from three-point range. It was Johnson's third 20-point game this season and sixth in his career. He has had back to back 20-point games (23 vs. Minnesota State) and now has 16 games in double figures.

USF junior forward Jordan Stotts added 17 points, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Stotts hit 8-of-11 field goals in 28 minutes of work. Senior Charles Ward had seven points, six rebounds and five assists.

As a group, the Cougars hit 29-of-61 from the field for 47.5 percent and were 7-of-16 from three-point range. Meanwhile, UMD overcame a poor shooting first half (8-of-23, 34.8 percent) to shoot 44.7 percent for the game. They hit 10-of-17 from three-point range for 58.8 percent. For just the fifth time this season, USF was outrebounded by an opponent as UMD had a 30-29 edge.

UMD had three players in double figures with Brendon Pineda totaling 21 points, six rebounds and four assists while knocking home 4-of-6 from distance. Taylor Lavery added 17 points and Pierre Newton contributed 19 points. Brett Ervin, one of the league's top scorers, was held to just nine points.

Early on, the Bulldogs came out on fire with consecutive three-point shots from Brendon Pineda and Taylor Lavery to take a 6-0 advantage just 1:17 into the contest. USF rebounded with a 13-5 run to take the lead on a M. Johnson three-pointer with 13:12 left in the half. Shortly thereafter, the Cougars had a 14-3 run to grab a 29-18 margin on a basket by Ward with 2:30 left on the first half clock.

After UMD cut the lead under 10 (29-20, 2:05), the Cougars finished with a 7-2 spurt to take the 36-22 halftime lead. In that opening stanza, USF hit 14-of-29 from the field for 48.3 percent and hit 5-of-9 three's for 55.6 percent. Leading the way was Johnson with 14 points and Jordan Stotts with 10. The Cougars had just four turnovers in the half as they held an 11-2 advantage in points off turnovers. USF also held the edge in the paint, 16-to-8.

Early in the second half the teams traded baskets with USF owning a 38-24 lead with 18:59 to play. Then, the Bulldogs began chipping away at the lead. By the 13:35 mark, UMD pulled with 10 (44-34) after a basket from Newton. Just a minute later, the Bulldogs pulled within 44-38 after a free throw from Pineda.

Up 50-45 with 9:37 to play, the Cougars couldn't find sustained offense as the Bulldogs used a 9-4 run to tie the game at 54 with 6:34 left on the clock. After Ward scored inside for a 58-56 USF lead at the 5:06 mark, UMD took control. The Bulldogs scored 10 straight points for a 66-58 lead and just :54 seconds remained in the game. USF pulled within four with seven seconds to go on a Cutler Finneman three-point shot but ran out of time.

On Saturday, the Cougars will host St. Cloud State in a 6 p.m. contest at the Stewart Center.