SIOUX FALLS – A six-game winning streak came to a heart-breaking end when the University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team (12-9, 8-5 NSIC) dropped a 68-67 decision to Minnesota State (13-6, 8-5 NSIC) on Friday night before 1,109 in attendance at the Stewart Center.
USF, playing shorthanded without senior captain
Mack Johnson, led by six (64-58) with 1:53 to play. But missed free throws and conversions by MSU resulted in the Cougars losing a heart-breaker. For the sixth time this year, USF lost by two points, including two at home by one point (SMSU, 87-86; MSU, 68-67).
Cole Harper of MSU, who scored just seven points, hit the game-winner with less than a second to play to give MSU to the victory.
"It was a frustrating way to end a game when we played really hard," said USF head coach
Chris Johnson. "We battled them all night but they had a great drive at the end. We had some missed opportunities and will have to learn from this and move on," he said.
USF had three players score in double figures, led by sophomore forward
Drew Guebert, who had 19 points, three rebounds, a block, steal and assist. Senior guard
Clint Thomas added 16 while
Daniel Hurtt provided 15 along with a game-high nine rebounds. In addition, junior forward
Tom Aase had seven points and six rebounds.
USF, which led 33-28 at halftime, was outscored, 40-34 in the second stanza as they fell to MSU for the ninth straight time in the DII era.
On the night, USF shot just 39.6 percent from the floor on 19-of-48 shooting. The Cougars hit just 6-of-18 from three-point range and were 23-of-28 from the foul line. For just the fourth time this season, USF lost the rebound battle, 32-29. Also USF was hurt by 15 turnovers.
As for the Mavericks, leading scorer Jon Fuqua had 20 points and six rebounds while Aarias Austin added 18 and Joey Witthus, 11. MSU hit 23-of-51 field goals for 45.1 percent, including 8-of-22 from three-point range. They were just 14-of-27 for 51.9 percent from the foul stripe.
MSU jumped to a 7-4 lead in the first half after a jumper by Witthus at the 18 minute mark. A lay-up by Thomas was part of a 5-0 USF run for a 9-7 lead (16:27). USF pushed advantage to 14-10 at 11:50 mark of the half. MSU answered with a 5-0 run to take the lead back at 15-14 (9:14).
For the rest of the half, the teams battled back and forth with the game being tied twice with a pair of lead changes. Two free throws (1:09) and a dunk by Thomas allowed USF to build a 31-26 lead with 48 seconds to play. Hurtt's basket with six seconds to go gave USF a 33-28 advantage at the halftime break.
Thomas hit a three to open the second half as the Cougars built its biggest lead of the game at 36-28 (19:50, 2nd). But the Mavericks had the answer, going on a 12-2 run as Cameron Kirksey's lay-up with 14:28 to play provided MSU with a 40-38 lead.
While Hurtt's trey (13:44) gave USF the lead back (41-40), MSU rebounded with an 8-0 run for a 48-41 advantage at the 10:53 mark following Austin's three-pointer.
But the Cougars rallied to take the lead with an 11-4 run, capped by Hurtt's three-pointer with 6:44 to go. After a technical on the MSU bench, two free throws from Thomas and a tip-in by Aase, USF led 56-51 with 5:58 on the clock. MSU responded with five straight points as they tied the game at 56-56 following Fuqua's lay-up (4:31).
After a pair of free throws from Guebert (2:53), a lay-up by Wessels, and a free throw from
Kebu Johnson, the Cougars took a 64-58 lead at the 1:53 mark. MSU again rallied as a three-pointer from Austin cut the lead to 67-66 with 19 seconds to play. After USF missed a pair of free throws, Harper drove to the basket and dropped in the game-winning shot.
Next for USF will be a home game on Saturday at 6 p.m. with Concordia-St. Paul.
