SIOUX FALLS – Despite 23 points from Charles Ward, including 18 in a 10-minute span in the second half, the University of Sioux Falls men's basketball team dropped a 76-61 decision to St. Cloud State before 898 at the Stewart Center on Saturday night.
The Cougars, which trailed 36-22 at halftime, fought back to tie the game at 47 with 11 minutes to play but SCSU closed the game on a 29-to-14 run to take the win as they improved to 13-9 overall and 9-7 in league play. USF, which lost its eighth straight, fell to 7-15 overall and 4-12 in the NSIC South.
“We battled back but couldn't sustain any offense in the final seven minutes of the game,” said USF head men's basketball coach Chris Johnson. “We will just have to get back to work and continue to improve. It is frustrating to lose but our guys are working hard.”
Ward, who reached double digits in points for the 20th time this year and 36th in his career, finished with 23 points, hitting 8-of-13 shots from the floor. Ward made 2-of-5 from three-point range, knocked down 5-of-6 free throws, grabbed eight rebounds and dished three assists.
While the Cougars shot the ball well, hitting 51 percent (25-fo-49), the difference in the game was at the free throw line and from three-point range. SCSU hit 18-of-21 from the charity stripe while the Cougars had just 11 attempts, making eight. From distance, the Huskies hit 10-of-22 from three-point range while USF was just 3-of-15.
For the second straight night at the Stewart Center, an opponent scorched the nets from three-point range. In the past two nights, UMD and SCSU hit a combined 20-of-37 for 54 percent. Meanwhile, USF was just 10-of-31 for .322 percent. While USF was effective inside, owning a 38-to-22 edge in points in the paint, SCSU had a 25-15 advantage in points off turnovers and a 14-4 margin in second half points.
SCSU was led in scoring by Jordan Poydras, one of the league's top players, with 21 points and four three-pointers. Reserve forward Donnell Cegers added 19 points, including 3-of-4 from three-point range after making just 4-of-11 all season long from distance. SCSU also received 16 points from Scott Stone.
St. Cloud State and the Cougars battled back and forth for the first 10 minutes of the contest before the Huskies gained an early advantage. At the 16:40 mark, Jordan Stotts, who scored all his eight points in the opening stanza, tied the game at 6-6 on an inside score. Later, a three-point field goal from Mack Johnson tied the game at 13-13 with 11:56. With the Cougars trailing, 17-15, with 10:01 to play, SCSU, keyed by Poydras, took off on a 17-1 run for a 34-17 advantage with 4:34 left in the half.
Poydras, who had 17 points in the first half but was held to four in the second half, had a four-point play with three seconds left to give SCSU a 38-22 lead at the halftime break. The Huskies took advantage of 14 Cougar turnovers, turning them into 18 points. USF hit just 9-of-23 from the field and were 1-of-7 from three-point range in the opening half of play. The Huskies hit 12-of-26 from the floor but hammered home 6-of-12 from three-point range.
Facing a double digit deficit, the Cougars came out on fire in the second half. USF scored the first seven points to cut the SCSU lead to 38-29 with 18:14 left in the game. Later, Ward hit a three to draw USF within 43-38 at the 15:03 run. Eventually, the Cougars tied the game at 47 on a basket by Kebu Johnson, who had a career-best eight points on the night. His score capped a 25-9 run by USF in the opening 9:03 of the half.
A three-point play by Ward kept the Cougars close at 52-49 with 9:57 to play. But then, SCSU took control with a 17-8 run to lead 69-57 with 3:26 to play. From that point, USF drew within 10 on a layup by Tom Aase (69-59) at the 3:03 mark but the Huskies made 5-of-6 down the stretch to maintain the lead. and defeat USF for the seventh straight time.
The Cougars now hit the road for four games, beginning with contests at Minnesota Crookston on Feb. 6 and Bemidji State on Feb. 7.
