SIOUX FALLS – Senior guard Trevon Evans scored 26 points to lead the University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team (13-4, 8-3 NSIC) to a fifth consecutive victory with a 77-72 victory over U-Mary (7-10, 4-7 NSIC) in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference cross-divisional matchup at the Stewart Center.

With the victory, the Cougars improved to 13-4 overall and stand 8-3 in league play, which places them in a tie for first in the NSIC South with Wayne State and Minnesota State. Both Wayne State (80-76 loss to MSU Moorhead) and Minnesota State (80-77 loss to Minnesota Duluth) lost Friday.

For the fifth time in six games, Evans scored 26 or more points to lead USF. A senior guard from Wichita, Kan., Evans made 4-of-6 from three-point range and 11-of-12 at the foul line while adding five rebounds and three assists. Evans has 12, 20-point games this season and 28 for his career. He now has 43 career double-digit scoring games with 21 straight dating to a year ago. With his point total, Evans surpassed 1,000 points (1,012) for his career at USF.

Grinde, who reached double digits in points for a fifth time this year, hit 4-of-7 field goals and made 2-of-3 shots from three-point range. USF, which had a 41-to-38 rebounds edge, had a game-high 11 boards from sophomore forward Austin Slater. USF won the rebound battle for the 17th straight game.

The Cougars hit 38 percent from the field on 19-of-50 shooting. They were also 8-of-19 from three-point range for 42.1 percent and 31-of-41 free throws for 75.6 percent.
U-Mary also had struggles from the field as they made 32.1 percent by making 18-of-56 from the field and 7-of-24 from three-point range. The Marauders also used the foul line to their advantage by making 29-of-36 charity tosses for 80.1 percent. U-Mary was led by Connor Hellebust and Tom Kubank with 15 points while guard Jaylan White added 12.

In a game that included eight lead changes and eight ties, USF and U-Mary were tied at 30 at halftime. The Cougars outscored the Marauders, 47-to-42 in the second half to earn their second straight win in the series.

GAME BREAKDOWN --
In the opening 20 minutes, the two teams finished tied at 30. The Cougars made just 9-of-29 field goals for 31 percent and hit just 3-of-10 from three-point range and 9-of-11 from the foul line. U-Mary, which had a 20-19 edge on the boards, hit 7-of-23 from the field for 30.4 percent. They were 3-of-11 from three-point range and hit 13-of-15 on free throws. Evans had 11 points to lead the way for USF.

With two three pointers from Evans, the Cougars jumped to a 6-3 lead early in the first half.  Later, U-Mary's Hellebust hit a three-pointer as the Marauders took a 10-8 lead. Drew Guebert's lay-up at the 10:33 mark helped the Cougars to a 13-11 lead.  However Matthew Kreklow had a pair of foul shots for an 18-16 lead. Then, two foul shots from White gave the Marauders a 22-18 lead with 6:28 to play. Aaron Rothermund scored five straight points as the Cougars took a 26-24 lead with 2:37 left in the first half. After another basket from Rothermund, USF led, 30-26, before U-Mary closed the half with a 4-0 run to forge a tie at 30-30.

In the opening minutes of the second half, USF scored five points for a 35-30 lead. However, the Marauders answered with nine straight points to take a 39-35 advantage at the 16:21 mark. Guebert hit a pair of foul shots with 14:43 to play as part of a 6-2 USF run and tie the game at 41. A three-pointer and jumper from Kubank gave U-Mary a 46-41 lead with just under 14 minutes left to play.  

USF had the answer with a three-point play by Grinde and a Slater lay-up which tied the game at 46.

With 11:43 to play, Evans made a pair of free throws and Grinde canned a three as USF charged into a 51-46 advantage (11:15). The Cougars used the play of Evans, including a three-point field goal, to key a 13-7 run and push the lead to 64-53 with six minutes to play.  After U-Mary cut the lead to eight on foul shots by Johnnie Turner, the Cougars had a three-pointer from Milan Sulic for a 67-56 lead with 4:46 left in the game. 

Two foul shots from White helped the Marauders rebound and draw within 68-61 with 2:43 to play. But USF held U-Mary off as foul shots with 2:02 left by Guebert pushed the lead back to 10 (71-61) and safely put the game into the win column for the Cougars.