Northland Sports Online

UMD Men Start 2-0

rp_primary_Pineda6729

NSO NEWS RELEASE

 

The University of Minnesota Duluth put together a dominant first half and opened the 2014-15 season with a 89-58 victory over Lincoln (Mo.) University at the Southwest Baptist University Classic in Bolivar, Missouri on Friday afternoon.

UMD (1-0) dominated the paint, outscoring LU 46-16 inside, holding a lead of 35 points with just under nine minutes remaining before holding on take home the season opener against the Blue Tigers

HIGHLIGHTS
• Junior guard Pierre Newton scored 16 first-half points in his official debut with the Bulldogs after sitting out last season due to transfer restrictions, finishing with a game-high 22. Senior center Brett Ervin had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 11 minutes of action, and junior transfer Brendon Pineda also had a strong debut with 13 points. Four Bulldogs tied for the team-high of five boards as UMD out-rebounded Lincoln 37-18
• Joshua Bule had 20 points to lead the way for the Blue Tigers. LU got just five points from its bench.

After Lincoln scored the first bucket of the game, a three-pointer by Victor Scott, the Bulldogs took control, opening up the score with a 15-2 run over the first 6:30 of the match. Scott would pull the Blue Tigers back within nine with a three-pointer just past the midway point of the half, but UMD again broke off a run, this time 16-3 leading into the final media break of the opening frame. Leading by 43-21, the Bulldogs would hold on to the end of the half having shot 64.0 percent for the half while Lincoln shot just 28.0 percent.

Not much changed in the second half as UMD extended its lead. Eleven of 12 Bulldogs to take the court had at least a basket and 10-of-12 pulled down at least one rebound. The Bulldogs shot an extremely efficient 58.2 percent for the game while holding the Blue Tigers to just 39.6 percent.

rp_primary_Newton6716

 

Junior Brendon Pineda continued to impress in his first season with the Bulldogs, knocking down a buzzer-beating lay-up to give the University of Minnesota Duluth a 68-67 road victory over Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri on Saturday afternoon.

UMD (2-0) takes home a pair of NCAA II regional victories from their trip to the SBU Classic, while the host Bearcats fall to 0-2 on the season.

TOP SCORERS
• Junior guard Taylor Lavery had 26 points, netting 14-of-15 free throws, to lead both teams. Senior center Brett Ervin added 15 points, and Pineda’s buzzer beater earned him nine points on the night. Pineda and Lavery led the way for UMD with six rebounds each.
• SBU senior guard Menas Stephens scored a double-double to lead the Bearcats with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward David Gabroseck and junior guard Daymond Colah also hit double digits scoring with 13 points for Southwest Baptist.

Cowlah scored the game’s opening basket as the Bearcats built up an early lead, extending it to as much as nine in the first half at 23-14 thanks to a three-pointer by Quinton Smith. UMD chipped away with free throws by Lavery and Erivn, and a three-pointer by junior guard Pierre Newton brough the Bulldogs back within four with just over 6:30 remaining in the first half. Lavery was fouled twice in the coming minute, netting UMD three more points, and sophomore guard Justin Byrd swiped the ball for a fast-break lay-up and a tie score with just over five minutes until the break. The teams would trade points the rest of the half but UMD took a one-point lead into the break.

Pineda put UMD up three with a jumper out of the locker room, and the Bulldogs would build a lead of eight just over three minutes into the second half. By the midpoint of the frame, SBU had chipped away and UMD led by just three at a media timeout. The Bearcats tied the score on a Gabrovsek three with 6:05 to go. “We had to battle. Southwest did some things that obviously bothered us this early in the year,” said Matt Bowen as the team was forced to hold tight in the late minutes of the game. UMD scored enough down the stretch to keep the game within reach, fouling Southwest in the closing minutes and taking a one-point deficit to the final possesion with 16 seconds on the clock before Pineda laid in the gamewinner to give the Bulldogs a win.

“We’re fortunate to have a learning experience without losing,” said Bowen. “It’s a nice character-building win. It’s hard to win on the road. As well as we played Firday, we obviously did not do as well tonight, but well enough to win. At the end of the day, they all count the same.”

UP NEXT
UMD will not have long to soak up a pair of season-opening victories as the Bulldogs return to the court Tuesday night when they play host to the University of Wisconsin-Superior in the annual Border Battle at Romano Gym. Opening tip is set for 8:00 p.m. as part two of a doubleheader following the women’s game.

 

 

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply