Article

MSU walks all over Bethany

Mavericks double the point total of their crosstown rival Wednesday at the Taylor Center

by Chris Jagerson

Bethany Lutheran 44 vs. Minnesota State 88

A year ago, Minnesota State didn't get a game until late in the second half from Bethany Lutheran.

There was never really a doubt who would win Wednesday night at Bresnan Arena.

Jadee Jones scored 21 points and Marcus Hill added a season-high 14 points and eight assists as the Mavericks won 88-44 over the Vikings in a nonconference men's basketball matchup.

"I thought I played pretty well," Hill said. "I was looking to distribute the ball and as a point guard, I was looking to get everyone involved."

The Mavericks led 12-6 in the opening five minutes, but a 15-0 run over a 3:04 span opened the lead.

"We started getting rebounds, so we were able to get out and run," said sophomore captain Jesse Clark. "Once we did that it opened up other things and got us some easy baskets."

The Mavericks held a 50-23 advantage on the glass for the game.

Not like they really needed it, but a pair of 3-pointers late by Jones and a layup from Joe Drapcho sent the Mavericks into halftime with a 60-27 advantage.

Minnesota State was 9 of 10 from 3-point range in the first half, which helped the team shoot 69.7 percent from the field.

"We wanted to come out and set the tempo," Clark said. "It meant a lot to us with Bethany being a crosstown rival, so we wanted to come out and play right away."

Jones scored 17 of his 21 in the first half and finished 5 of 5 from 3-point range. The second half saw players like Hill get a chance to see extended time on the court.

"This game was about building confidence," Hill said. "As a freshman it's important to see what it's like to actually play college basketball. It was a big confidence boost for some of the guys off the bench.

The Vikings (1-5) scored just 17 points in the second half. Andy Wills had a team-high 15 points for the game.

The Mavericks shot 60.3 percent for both halves. It marked the first time since January 22, 2005, against Augustana that the Mavericks shot above 60 percent.

A year ago the Vikings pushed the game until the very end, when the Mavericks pulled away for a 93-77 victory.

That wasn't the case Wednesday.

Jake Morrow, Mitch Gosson and Drapcho added 10 points apiece off the bench. Gosson and Atila Santos grabbed 11 rebounds each and Clark had six assists.

The Mavericks (6-2) play at 4 p.m. Saturday at home against St. Mary's.

"This needs to be the start of us playing good on a regular basis," Clark said. "We're starting to do that. We've played good at times and bad at times, but tonight was a good all-around game."

Chris Jagerson is a Reporter staff writer