Monday, Nov. 6
Lights beat DSU and Minot
Chris Peterson
Havre Daily News
cpeterson@havredailynews.com
Seemingly everything went right for the Montana State University-Northern men’s basketball team this weekend, as the Lights came away with a pair of impressive nonconference victories.
The Lights began their weekend doubleheader on Friday at the MSU-Northern Fieldhouse against the Dickinson State Blue Hawks.
Northern opened up the game on a 16-2 run and never looked back, defeating the Blue Hawks in dominating fashion by the score of 89-54.
“It was a nice win overall,” MSU-N head coach Shawn Huse said. “Cory Brothers got us off to a nice start offensively and the rest of the guys just kind of followed his lead. We just gave a really good effort on both ends of the floor.”
Brothers scored 11 points in the first half on his way to a team-high 15 points in the win.
Delvaughn Tinned matched Brothers’ team-high, with 15 points of his own, as well as four assists. Erv Sims also put together a solid game for the Lights, putting in 14 points and grabbing eight rebounds.
“Cory is really starting to mature as a basketball player,” Huse said. “He is an upper classman and he is beginning to show more leadership skills. He has always been a good defender, but now he is starting to come along on the offensive end.
“He isn’t settling for the outside shot as much and he is also doing a lot better job on the offensive boards,” he added. “And he is doing a great job of setting screens. He is doing all the little things people don’t notice, but you have to do to win.”
Ahead 44-30 at halftime, Northern put the game away for good with a 27-5 run that put the Lights ahead 73-47 with almost 10 minutes left in the game, sealing DSU’s fate.
On Saturday night, the Lights welcomed the Minot State Beavers into Havre, and unlike the night before, Northern spotted the Beavers a big lead early before rallying late for an 89-85 victory.
Trailing 40-18, MSU-N finally showed a flicker of life, closing the half out on an 11-0 run to make the score 40-29 at the break.
“We put
ourselves in quite a hole there in the first half,” Huse said. “
The Beavers responded early in the second half, extending their lead to 13 points on a three-pointer by Andy Leraas to go ahead 52-37.
However, Northern rallied once again. The Lights ripped off a 13-2 run, pulling them within four points of the Beavers.
The two teams traded baskets back and forth until the Beavers led 66-61. That’s when Tinned took over the game.
Tinned scored 11 points in less than two minutes as he drew a four-point play and a three-pointer to tie the game at 68-68. Then he connected on another four-point play to give the Lights their first lead of the game 72-68, a lead they would never relinquish.
“DeLvaughn really stepped up and made some huge plays for us,” Huse said. “I don’t think I ever remember somebody getting two four-point plays like that. I think that was definitely the turning point in the game.”
Ronnie Simpson led the way for the Lights with a huge, game-high 29 points off the bench. Tinned added 15 points, 13 of them coming in the final eight minutes of the game.
“Ronnie did a nice job of coming off the bench and having an impact,” Huse said. “It is an example of what I like about this team. A senior, who could start for a lot of other teams, comes off the bench and is ready to come in and contribute.”
The Beavers got 18 points from Patrick Beck as well as 16 points from Cleodis Hilliard in the loss.
“I am really proud of the way our guys continued to battle throughout the game,” Huse said. “Now they know that no matter what the situation is, they can come back and find a way to get the job done.”
The two wins over the DAC schools put the Lights back at .500 at 2-2 on the season.
Northern
will now prepare for a difficult road game at the two-time defending Big Sky
champion Montana Grizzlies on Friday night in
Lights 89, Blue Hawks 54
DSU — Donny English 4-8 2-2 10; Rogor Russaw 1-4 1-2 4; Cam Rowland 1-5 0-1 2; Jason McClure 1-3 0-2 2; Ervin Beltron 3-7 1-3 7; Dan Barraclough 2-5 0-2 4; Julio Marshall 2-3 0-0 4; Ryan Ernst 2-4 0-0 5; Julian Larry 1-1 1-2 3; Josh McLeod 2-6 0-0 5; Nigel Sims 2-4 0-0 5; Yancy Clark 2-3 0-0 4; Drew Ernhardt 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 23-54 5-14 54.
MSU-N — Erv Sims 6-9 2-3 14; Drew Pettersen 4-8 1-1 9; Delvaughn Tinned 6-14 2-2 15; Cory Brothers 4-8 6-7 15; Brian Erickson 1-4 4-4 6; Dustin Foasel 1-1 1-2 3; Leo Bullchild 0-3 0-0 0; Durwin Williams 2-3 1-4 6; Andrew Sollars 1-4 0-1 3; Cody Gillespie 4-5 0-0 11; Ronnie Simpson 3-4 0-0 7; Kyle Stone 0-3 0-0 0. Totals: 32-66 17-24 89.
Halftime: DSU 30, MSU-N 44. 3-pointers: DSU 3-16 (R. Russaw 0-3, D. Barraclough 0-1, J. Marshall 0-1, R. Ernst 1-3, J. McLeod 1-5, N. Sims 1-3); MSU-N 8-21 (D. Pettersen 0-2, D. Tinned 1-5, C. Brothers 1-2, L. Bullchild 0-2, D. Williams 1-2, A. Sollars 1-3, C. Gillespie 3-4, R. Simpson 1-1). Rebounds: DSU 27 (J. McClure, E. Belton, N. Sims 5); MSU-N 49 (E. Sims 8); Total Fouls: DSU 23, MSU-N 19. Assists: DS 16 (D. English 4); MSU-N 20 (L. Bullchild 5). Turnovers: DS 21, MSU-N 16
Lights 89, Beavers 85
MSU — Drew Hysjulien 4-4 3-4 13, Jessie Ford 0-3 2-4 2, Milan Cevetkovic 4-6 2-2 10, Patrick Beck 5-13 7-7 18, Jordan Cooper 2-4 0-0 5, Terrence Anderson 0-2 0- 0, Ricky Martinez 1-3 5-9 7, Andy Leraas 6-11 0-1 14, Cleodis Hilliard 6-10 3-4 16. Tim Brandt 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-57 22-31.
MSU-N — Erv Sims 3-6 4-5 10, Drew Pettersen 2-9 0-0 5, Delvaughn Tinned 4-8 4-4 15, Cory Brothers 1-4 6-6 9, Brian Erickson 0-1 2-4 2, Leo Bullchild 0-1 2-2 2, Durwin Williams 3-5 3-6 9, Andrew Sollars 3-5 2-3 8, Ronnie Simpson 8-14 13-23 29, Kyle Stone 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-64 36-53.
Halftime: Minot 41, MSU-N 29. 3-point goals — Minot 7-17 (Hysjulien 2-2, Beck 1-4, Cooper 1-2, Leraas 2-3, Hilliard 1-2), MSU-N 5-13 (Pettersen 1-1, Tinned 3-5, Brothers 1-1). Rebounds — Minot 36 (Leraas 9), MSU-N 36 (D. Williams 7). Assists — Minot 17 (Anderson 5); MSU-N 12 (Sims, Erickson 3 each). Total fouls — Minot 42 (Fouled out — Hysjulien, Ford, Cooper, Anderson). MSU-N 29 (Fouled out — Tinned, Williams). Turnovers — Minot 22, MSU-N 16.