ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- UND wasted a great start but didn't waste an opportunity to stay in the hunt for an NCAA Division II playoff berth.
UND held on to beat St. Cloud State 79-75 on Saturday night at Halenbeck Hall. The Sioux -- after their weekend North Central Conference men's basketball road sweep -- now have their sights set on the postseason. And deservedly so.
"We're really playing good basketball right now," UND's Brady Larson said. "Everyone is playing their role. And that's why we're winning close games."
The Sioux improved to 9-5 in the NCC and 15-8 overall. League-leading South Dakota (11-3, 19-4) was upset Saturday night, leaving UND two games behind the Coyotes with four to play.
"This weekend is exactly what we needed," said Larson, who scored 12 points. "We know our backs are to the wall. We know there is talk that we can't lose any more games. But if we win our final four games, there is no way we can't make the playoffs.
"But we can't worry about that now. We just want to get Augustana (UND's next opponent)."
The Sioux played like NCC champions in the early going. Chad Mustard (19 points) dominated inside, guiding the Sioux to 31-14 lead 10 minutes into the game. Mustard wasn't the only player to dominate. Hunter Reinke added 20 points off the bench while Marcus Travis -- in another steady showing -- added 11.
UND led 42-32 at the break despite getting only six minutes of playing time from point guard Hunter Berg, who was in foul trouble.
The Huskies, who have suffered more heartbreaking losses than any team in the NCC this season, did make a run at the Sioux in the second half. Led by Enoch Dix (20), St. Cloud pulled to within one (53-52) and two twice (64-62, 73-71) but could not grab the lead as UND's free-throw shooting in the final three minutes was good enough.
Larson's free throw with nine seconds left gave the Sioux a 77-73 advantage and two more by Berg with three seconds to go sealed the win .
"We expected them to come back," Larson said. "They're a good team. Their record doesn't show it, because they've lost a lot of close games. We just held them off."
UND's ability to hold off teams is a trait the Sioux didn't have at all times last year.
"Our teams of the past (two seasons) may have taken a step back and not won a game like this," Mustard said.
And the Sioux won despite not playing their best.
"I don't think we had our best game," UND coach Rich Glas said. "We started great, then struggled in the second half. We missed some easy shots. We missed some free throws, but we made the big ones when we needed them."
And that's more than St. Cloud can say. The Huskies, after beating North Dakota State in double overtime Friday night, now have played in seven overtime games this season, winning three.
| UND (79) | |||
| Name | FG | FT | Points |
| Mustard | 7-14 | 5-8 | 19 |
| Travis | 2-6 | 7-8 | 11 |
| Behrens | 2-6 | 0-0 | 5 |
| Berg | 1-3 | 2-2 | 5 |
| Jacobson | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Larson | 3-6 | 4-6 | 12 |
| Ristvedt | 1-7 | 1-1 | 3 |
| Reinke | 8-10 | 3-4 | 20 |
| Badding | 2-2 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Totals | 26-56 | 22-29 | 79 |
| St. Cloud (75) | |||
| Witt | 3-5 | 2-2 | 8 |
| Dix | 8-21 | 3-7 | 20 |
| Rancik | 5-8 | 0-2 | 14 |
| Brandt | 1-5 | 2-4 | 4 |
| Schoenrock | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Goring | 3-5 | 0-0 | 6 |
| Bishop | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Jacobson | 2-3 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Schmidt | 7-10 | 1-1 | 15 |
| Johnson | 2-3 | 0-0 | 4 |
| Wade | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Totals | 31-61 | 8-16 | 75 |