Moorhead, MN
Trevon Evans, who had a double of 29 points and 10 rebounds, capped off a big weekend by knocking down a dramatic three-pointer with less than a second to play as the University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball Team (14-8, 9-7 NSIC) rallied in the last five minutes to pick up a 70-67 win over Minnesota State Moorhead at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse before 983 in attendance.
"I thought we showed some extraordinary toughness down the stretch because it (shooting) didn't go particularly well for us tonight," said USF Head Coach Chris Johnson, who recorded his 170th career win in his 300th career game with the Cougars' program.
The Cougars, which led 20-11 with 12:46 to play in the first half, took a 34-30 halftime lead as Evans scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. After MSUM rallied to take a 59-53 lead with 10 minutes to play, the Cougars had the answer. In a game with nine ties and eight lead changes, USF outscored the Dragons, 17-to-8, overcoming a four-minute scoring drought, to pick up the victory. In the final minute both teams committed turnovers before USF had the final possession and ended a three-game losing streak to MSUM when Evans came up big at the end. USF last win over MSUM was also in Moorhead, 92-70, in the 2013-14 season.
"We had a run late when Devin (Green) hit a jumper and Trevon (Evans) made a shot. At the end, we decided to put the ball in his hands and he made a play as part of a special weekend," Johnson said in his postgame interview with USF play-by-play announcer Tom Frederick. "This late in the NSIC season, (games) can be a grind, particularly on a four-game road trip. This is a really nice win and should make for a good bus ride home," he said.
It is the third straight Saturday, USF has bounced back from a loss to pick up a win. USF improved to 14-8 overall, including 9-7 in the NSIC for fourth in the South Division.
As for Evans, he scored 71 points this weekend, following up a D2-school record 42 points against Northern State on Friday with 29 points against MSUM. Evans, who now has 12, 20 point or better performances this season, also recorded his second double double of the season (Fort Hays State, 31 points, 12 rebounds Nov. 11, 2017) with his 29 points and 10 boards. He also had five assists and a season in 37 minutes. Evans hit 10-of-22 from the field, including 5-of-12 from three point range. Against NSU and MSUM, the junior guard from Wichita, Kan., knocked down 12 3's and made 25 field goals in 46 shots.
Aside from Evans, junior forward Drew Guebert supplied 12 points, two rebounds and had two blocks. He had his 59th double digit scoring game of his career, moving his career point total to 1,238. He is now just three points from taking over 18th (Joel Mulder, 1990-94, 1,240 points). For the fourth time in his career, Aaron Rothermund, who had two threes, had double digits with 10 points, adding three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Devin Green continued some solid play off the bench with six points, two assists and a rebound. Teathloach Pal also supplied eight rebounds.
While the Cougars shot just 40 percent (26-of-65) from the field, they made nine three-point field goals on 30 attempts and all nine of their foul shots. USF, the league's top rebounding team, held a 38-34 edge and shared the ball with 14 assists on 26 made baskets.
Both teams held their turnovers to a minimum with USF committing just one in the first half and seven overall. MSUM had seven but just dished just three assists. The Dragons were 25-of-58 from the field for 42.1 percent and 6-of-21 from distance. Tanner Kretchman had a big game for MSUM with 23 points, hitting 5-of-8 from three-point range. While the Dragons held a 24-20 points edge in the paint, the Cougars outscored them, 12-7, in points over turnovers.
Game Breakdown
With a lay-up and pair of treys from Evans, USF started quick, opening up a 10-5 lead at the 15:54 mark of the first half. Later, Guebert and Drew Maschoff, who had seven points, two rebounds and two assists on the night, connected from distance in a 50-second span to take a 20-11 lead and force a timeout by MSUM with 12:49 left in the half.
Led by Kretchman's trio of threes, MSUM responded with a 17-4 run to overcome the deficit and move in front, 28-24 (7:26, 1st). A steal by Zach Wessels spurred a USF rally as Evans finished off the possession with a lay-up and then added a pair of free throws plus another basket for a 30-28 lead with 4:07 to play in the half.
Maschoff and Rothermund had lay-ups in a 35-second period as USF retook a six point lead (34-28,:50). However, MSUM's Travaun Coad, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds on the night, hit a jumper with 25 seconds to play as USF took a 34-30 lead to the halftime break.
The Cougars had a rough shooting half, hitting just 14-of-38 shots for 36.8 percent. USF was 4-of-12 from three point range and 2-of-2 at the foul line while owning a 21-20 rebound edge. Kretchman led MSUM with 11 points as the Dragons hit 11-of-28 shots for 39.3 percent from the field. Like USF, they were 4-of-12 from distance but 4-of-5 at the foul line.
In the second half, USF, which hit 12-of-27 shots for 44.4 percent, used a three from Rothermund to take a 41-36 lead with 17 minutes to play. However, Kretchman continued to hurt USF, scoring five straight points to tie the game at 41. After MSUM took a lead (45-43), USF had a 7-4 spurt for a 50-49 lead after a three-point play by Guebert.
In a back-and-forth second half, MSUM responded with a 10-3 run, including a three from Kretchman, for a 59-53 advantage with 9:59 left. But as was the case all night, neither team could hold a lead. A three-pointer from Evans cut the deficit to 61-58 with 8:21 to play.
At that time, both teams went on a scoring drought for nearly four minutes. After Coad hit a free throw to end the drought for a 62-58 lead, USF responded with a 7-2 run, including another Evans three and baskets from Wessels and Devin Green, for a 65-62 edge with 3:11 on the clock. MSUM rebounded with a 5-2 run as Addison Park's three-point play with 1:50 to play tied the game at 67.
After each team had a costly turnover, USF gained possession with 30 seconds to play and set up a play for Evans, who came through with his big shot.
USF now returns home for a pair of game at the Stewart Center, beginning with University of Mary on Feb. 2 and Minot State on Feb. 3.
"I thought we showed some extraordinary toughness down the stretch because it (shooting) didn't go particularly well for us tonight," said USF Head Coach Chris Johnson, who recorded his 170th career win in his 300th career game with the Cougars' program.
The Cougars, which led 20-11 with 12:46 to play in the first half, took a 34-30 halftime lead as Evans scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. After MSUM rallied to take a 59-53 lead with 10 minutes to play, the Cougars had the answer. In a game with nine ties and eight lead changes, USF outscored the Dragons, 17-to-8, overcoming a four-minute scoring drought, to pick up the victory. In the final minute both teams committed turnovers before USF had the final possession and ended a three-game losing streak to MSUM when Evans came up big at the end. USF last win over MSUM was also in Moorhead, 92-70, in the 2013-14 season.
"We had a run late when Devin (Green) hit a jumper and Trevon (Evans) made a shot. At the end, we decided to put the ball in his hands and he made a play as part of a special weekend," Johnson said in his postgame interview with USF play-by-play announcer Tom Frederick. "This late in the NSIC season, (games) can be a grind, particularly on a four-game road trip. This is a really nice win and should make for a good bus ride home," he said.
It is the third straight Saturday, USF has bounced back from a loss to pick up a win. USF improved to 14-8 overall, including 9-7 in the NSIC for fourth in the South Division.
As for Evans, he scored 71 points this weekend, following up a D2-school record 42 points against Northern State on Friday with 29 points against MSUM. Evans, who now has 12, 20 point or better performances this season, also recorded his second double double of the season (Fort Hays State, 31 points, 12 rebounds Nov. 11, 2017) with his 29 points and 10 boards. He also had five assists and a season in 37 minutes. Evans hit 10-of-22 from the field, including 5-of-12 from three point range. Against NSU and MSUM, the junior guard from Wichita, Kan., knocked down 12 3's and made 25 field goals in 46 shots.
Aside from Evans, junior forward Drew Guebert supplied 12 points, two rebounds and had two blocks. He had his 59th double digit scoring game of his career, moving his career point total to 1,238. He is now just three points from taking over 18th (Joel Mulder, 1990-94, 1,240 points). For the fourth time in his career, Aaron Rothermund, who had two threes, had double digits with 10 points, adding three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Devin Green continued some solid play off the bench with six points, two assists and a rebound. Teathloach Pal also supplied eight rebounds.
While the Cougars shot just 40 percent (26-of-65) from the field, they made nine three-point field goals on 30 attempts and all nine of their foul shots. USF, the league's top rebounding team, held a 38-34 edge and shared the ball with 14 assists on 26 made baskets.
Both teams held their turnovers to a minimum with USF committing just one in the first half and seven overall. MSUM had seven but just dished just three assists. The Dragons were 25-of-58 from the field for 42.1 percent and 6-of-21 from distance. Tanner Kretchman had a big game for MSUM with 23 points, hitting 5-of-8 from three-point range. While the Dragons held a 24-20 points edge in the paint, the Cougars outscored them, 12-7, in points over turnovers.
Game Breakdown
With a lay-up and pair of treys from Evans, USF started quick, opening up a 10-5 lead at the 15:54 mark of the first half. Later, Guebert and Drew Maschoff, who had seven points, two rebounds and two assists on the night, connected from distance in a 50-second span to take a 20-11 lead and force a timeout by MSUM with 12:49 left in the half.
Led by Kretchman's trio of threes, MSUM responded with a 17-4 run to overcome the deficit and move in front, 28-24 (7:26, 1st). A steal by Zach Wessels spurred a USF rally as Evans finished off the possession with a lay-up and then added a pair of free throws plus another basket for a 30-28 lead with 4:07 to play in the half.
Maschoff and Rothermund had lay-ups in a 35-second period as USF retook a six point lead (34-28,:50). However, MSUM's Travaun Coad, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds on the night, hit a jumper with 25 seconds to play as USF took a 34-30 lead to the halftime break.
The Cougars had a rough shooting half, hitting just 14-of-38 shots for 36.8 percent. USF was 4-of-12 from three point range and 2-of-2 at the foul line while owning a 21-20 rebound edge. Kretchman led MSUM with 11 points as the Dragons hit 11-of-28 shots for 39.3 percent from the field. Like USF, they were 4-of-12 from distance but 4-of-5 at the foul line.
In the second half, USF, which hit 12-of-27 shots for 44.4 percent, used a three from Rothermund to take a 41-36 lead with 17 minutes to play. However, Kretchman continued to hurt USF, scoring five straight points to tie the game at 41. After MSUM took a lead (45-43), USF had a 7-4 spurt for a 50-49 lead after a three-point play by Guebert.
In a back-and-forth second half, MSUM responded with a 10-3 run, including a three from Kretchman, for a 59-53 advantage with 9:59 left. But as was the case all night, neither team could hold a lead. A three-pointer from Evans cut the deficit to 61-58 with 8:21 to play.
At that time, both teams went on a scoring drought for nearly four minutes. After Coad hit a free throw to end the drought for a 62-58 lead, USF responded with a 7-2 run, including another Evans three and baskets from Wessels and Devin Green, for a 65-62 edge with 3:11 on the clock. MSUM rebounded with a 5-2 run as Addison Park's three-point play with 1:50 to play tied the game at 67.
After each team had a costly turnover, USF gained possession with 30 seconds to play and set up a play for Evans, who came through with his big shot.
USF now returns home for a pair of game at the Stewart Center, beginning with University of Mary on Feb. 2 and Minot State on Feb. 3.
Courtesy: usfcougars.com
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