Feb. 15, 2002
Mankato, MN – Senior Nigel Jenkins hit all five of his field goal attempts, four coming from 3-point range, and finished with a career-high 20 points as the Fighting Sioux men’s basketball team won a key North Central Conference game at MSU-Mankato on Friday night, 87-78. The win improved North Dakota to 15-8 overall and allowed it to maintain sole possession of third place in the NCC with a 10-5 mark. Mankato fell to 8-15 overall, 4-11 in league play.
Jenkins had 17 of his 20 points in the second half as the Sioux battled back from a 33-30 halftime deficit. Eight of Jenkins’ points came during a 12-2 run late in the second half that turned a game tied at 53 into a 65-55 UND lead with 5:50 to play.
Five other Sioux players finished in double figures as UND won its third game in a row. Junior Jerome Beasley had 15 points and 12 rebounds, his ninth double-double of the season. Junior Mario Porter had 12 points and added eight assists versus just a single turnover. Sophomore Jeff Brandt had 11 points, while junior Robert Lolar and freshman Mike Johnson added 10 apiece.
The Sioux jumped out to an early seven-point lead, going up 21-14 on a Lolar jumper with 10:29 remaining in the first half, but the Mavericks came back with a 15-3 run over the next six minutes to go up 29-24 with 4:14 to play. MSU maintained its lead for the rest of the half, taking a 33-30 lead to the locker room.
Lolar and Brandt led North Dakota with eight points each in the first half as the Sioux shot 43.3 percent. The Mavericks shot 48.0 percent.
North Dakota trailed 41-40 with 15 minutes to play but erupted for 47 points the rest of the way as the Sioux finished with 57 second-half points, a season high. With the score tied at 53 with 8:14 to play, UND went on its decisive run to take a 10-point lead.
The lead remained between eight and 12 points until less than a minute remained. Fouling to extend the game, the Mavericks got within six, 81-75, on a Drew Carlson 3-point shot with 39 seconds to play, but North Dakota hit nine of 11 free throws in the final minute to hold onto the lead.
North Dakota hit 14 of 30 (.467) field goals in the second half but hit 23 of 28 free throws after not taking a single free throw in the first half.
The Sioux ended up shooting 45.0 percent for the game, while MSU hit 46.6 percent. UND won the rebounding battle, 36-34, while both teams had 19 assists. The Mavericks had 20 turnovers to North Dakota’s 15, only four of which came in the final 20 minutes.
Second-place Nebraska-Omaha improved to 12-4 in league play on Friday night, while fourth-place South Dakota and St. Cloud State are 9-6. Northern Colorado is in sixth place at 9-7.
The Sioux play on Saturday night at St. Cloud State, a 15-point winner over North Dakota State on Friday night.
Official Basketball Box Score
North Dakota vs Minnesota State
2/15/02 8 p.m. at Mankato, Minn. - Bresnan Arena
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VISITORS: North Dakota 15-8, 10-5 NCC
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
42 Josh Johnson........ f 0-3 0-1 3-4 1 2 3 0 3 1 0 0 2 17
54 Jerome Beasley...... f 5-11 0-0 5-5 1 11 12 3 15 1 2 0 1 29
05 Mario Porter........ g 4-9 2-4 2-3 0 2 2 2 12 8 1 0 0 36
30 Jeff Brandt......... g 4-12 3-9 0-0 0 0 0 2 11 0 3 0 2 19
32 Ryan Walker......... g 1-4 0-1 0-0 0 2 2 0 2 3 0 0 1 16
14 Mike Johnson........ 1-2 1-1 7-8 1 0 1 4 10 1 1 0 0 16
20 Jade Jahner......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4
24 Robert Lolar........ 5-11 0-1 0-0 2 4 6 2 10 2 4 1 3 23
34 Nigel Jenkins....... 5-5 4-4 6-8 1 4 5 2 20 2 0 1 2 29
40 Jerrid Sebesta...... 2-3 0-0 0-0 2 1 3 1 4 0 3 0 1 8
50 Todd Rypkema........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3
Team................ 1 1 2
Totals.............. 27-60 10-21 23-28 9 27 36 17 87 19 15 2 12 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-30 43.3% 2nd Half: 14-30 46.7% Game: 45.0% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 4-11 36.4% 2nd Half: 6-10 60.0% Game: 47.6% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 0-0 0.0% 2nd Half: 23-28 82.1% Game: 82.1% 3
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HOME TEAM: Minnesota State 8-15, 4-11 NCC
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
25 Jermaine Brown...... f 8-14 0-0 7-11 1 10 11 4 23 2 4 0 1 35
53 Shawn Beaudette..... f 2-5 1-3 2-2 1 2 3 2 7 0 1 0 0 25
51 Jon Hickman......... c 2-4 0-0 0-0 1 3 4 5 4 1 0 0 0 21
05 Drew Carlson........ g 9-18 6-11 2-3 1 6 7 4 26 0 6 0 1 38
13 Jay Larson.......... g 5-12 3-6 3-4 0 0 0 3 16 7 1 0 4 33
11 Matt Jones.......... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 3
21 Jevin Budde......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 3 0 6 2 0 1 17
31 Chris Johnson....... 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 4 2 2 3 0 0 20
55 Scott von Lehe...... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 8
TEAM................ 4 4
Totals.............. 27-58 10-21 14-20 8 26 34 26 78 19 20 1 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-25 48.0% 2nd Half: 15-33 45.5% Game: 46.6% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-7 42.9% 2nd Half: 7-14 50.0% Game: 47.6% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 6-8 75.0% 2nd Half: 8-12 66.7% Game: 70.0% 2
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Officials: Pete Hansen, Mike Spanier, Brad Panning
Technical fouls: North Dakota-None. Minnesota State-None.
Attendance: 2214
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
North Dakota.................. 30 57 - 87
Minnesota State............... 33 45 - 78
North Central Conference game