shortcut to content
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato

Latest information about COVID-19 and the campus community

×

Article

Page address: https://web.mnsu.edu/sports/hoopsclub/news/html/2007/late_rally.html

Late Rally Runs Mavs' Win Streak to 16 Straight

Thomason's steal, 3-pointer seal comeback win over Vikings.

by Dax Larson

Issue date: 1/23/07 Section: Mens Sports

Usually when a basketball team is on a 3-on-1 break they make a couple passes to get an easy score. But not when the ball is in the veteran hands of senior Tony Thomason. Down 73-71 with only two and a half to play, Thomason stole the ball from Augustana and quickly pushed the ball up the court. With two Mavericks streaking toward the net and a defender in front on him, Thomason decided to pull up and take the three. The shot dropped and No. 5 Minnesota State was back on top 74-73. They never looked back on the way to an 81-76 win.

"That was a shot a veteran can take," said head coach Matt Margenthaler. "Tony is playing on a different level. Last year he wouldn't have taken that shot because he wasn't as confident."

"I put the game on my shoulders at that point," Thomason said. "I stepped up and did what I needed to do for this team."

On the Mavericks previous possession, Thomason hit a three-pointer coming off a timeout by MSU to tie the game 71-71. One would think with Thomason hitting the key threes at the end of the game he had been playing well all night, but that wasn't the case. Thomason only played nine minutes in the first half. He had five points, two turnovers and two fouls. The early foul trouble forced Margenthaler to sit Thomason. Fortunately for the Mavericks, Thomason isn't the only veteran leader on the team. Senior Luke Anderson has been a staple for MSU the past three seasons and he knows what to do when one of his running mates goes out.

"He (Luke) put us on his back in the first half," Margenthaler said. "He really got into the nice rhythm."

Anderson went 6-14 from the field and 4-9 from behind the arch for a halftime point total of 18, on his way to a season-high 27 points. Augustana shot 58.6 percent from the field in the first half and Anderson single-handedly kept the Mavericks in the game. The first half was a true see-saw match with the lead changing five times. Augustana got a lead as large as seven in the first half with MSU gaining as large as an eight-point advantage. The half ended with the Mavericks up 38-37.

"They would answer every thing. We hit a three and then they hit a three," Anderson said. "We were shooting well enough to pull out a lead, but we weren't getting stops on the defensive end."

The second half was a rollercoaster for the Mavericks. MSU came out of the gates hot and earned a quick 10-point lead just two minutes into the half. But, much how the first half went, the Vikings didn't fade away. Over the 10 minutes following the Mavericks gaining their largest lead of the night, Augustana went on a 28-11 run to get its lead to seven. This is when the seniors took over on offense and a team effort on the defensive end won the game for the Mavericks. MSU held Augustana to just nine points in the final 7:55 of the game. This included key defensive stops in the last three minutes to hold a small lead.

"We always seem to doubt ourselves when we give up a lead like that," Margenthaler said. "Really, it all starts on the defensive end, that is where we can pick up the pace. We really hunkered down and grinded this one out on the defensive end."

Thomason, Anderson and senior Paris Kyles had a combined 18 points, two assists, two rebounds and a steal in the final eight minutes of the game. Thomason tallied 14 points. Anderson poured in 27 points, but also added seven rebounds. Kyles ended the night with a solid 20 point performance, he is averaging 20.8 points in NCC action this season.

"We have three guys that want the ball in their hands," Margenthaler said. "When you have that down the stretch, in the last two minutes, those veterans have to make plays."

The Mavericks are on a 16-game winning streak and a 14-game home winning streak - both records for the program. MSU continues its home stand with North Dakota Thursday at 8 p.m.

Dax Larson is a Reporter staff writer