Double-headed, double-digit defeat
Halftime lead holds through
The home court was as sweet as ever for the Bison women Tuesday.
One of the biggest problems the Bison men have had this season is blowing large, first-half leads, something men’s basketball head coach Tim Miles has worked diligently on with his team.
“ We constantly tell the guys to not look at the scoreboard,” Miles said. “Good things will happen if we just play (our) game and go hard to the hoop.”
Last Tuesday, NDSU went on a 17-1 run midway through the first half against University of Missouri-Kansas City that spanned over five minutes and resulted in a 28-point halftime lead.
Unlike previous second-half debacles, NDSU controlled the pace of the game by combining strong defense with good ball movement as the Bison improved their home record to 7-1 on the year.
“ We just came out there with a lot of intensity,” freshman guard Mike Nelson said. “By doing that, we were able to force turnovers and get some easy baskets.”
The 6-foot-2-inch Nelson has grinded his way into the starting lineup and was in a zone to start the game as he scored seven quick points before five minutes ran off the clock. He finished with 14 in the half and 18 in the game.
Ben Woodside, whose name is mentioned around campus more than Joe Chapman’s, matched Nelson’s first-half total including four three-pointers. Woodside finished with 22 points.
The Kangaroos started ice-cold, shooting 23 percent.
Conversely, the Bison shot 72 percent from the field, which tied the school record for first-half field goal percentage. They had set the mark earlier this year against University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The Bison cruised past the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos 87-63 before 2,028 fans.
The NDSU team, which plays five games in 12 days, knew that this game was integral to get a tough stretch of games off on the right foot.
“We keep telling the guys how many games we have coming up and just remind them to keep looking at the game at hand and execute like we need to,” Miles said.
Last season the Kangaroos topped NDSU 80-67 in Kansas City, another indication of the leaps and bounds made in one season.
The Bison are still without injured-forward Tom Lunde.