Bulldogs Take Home Opener Despite Offensive Struggles
Credit: UMD Athletics
The Bulldog men's basketball team opened their season at home against the Concordia St.Paul Golden Bears on Monday, November 9. This game displayed both teams' strengths and weaknesses that are sure to be developed further as the season progresses.
The Golden Bears were ready to play the first half of the game, coming out of the bat with a 9-1 run against the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs not only struggled defensively in this first half, but on the offensive side as well, shooting 32% from the field while the Golden Bears shot 45%.
This did not discourage the Bulldogs, however, as they were able to find their groove after a couple of timeouts and go on a 9-5 run to catch up to the Golden Bears and tie the game at 22-22. The Golden Bears then gained 4 points on the Bulldogs, and they were able to hang on to the rest of the half, leading the Bulldogs 31-35.
The second half saw the Golden Bears pick up right where they left off with a 15-2 scoring run within the first 3 minutes of the half. This brought the score to 45-33 and a lot for the Bulldogs to catch up to.
The Bulldogs continued to struggle from the field, but were able to lock in on defense and inch their way up on the scoreboard to finally gain a lead with seven minutes left in the half with a score of 65-64. This lead was followed by a media timeout where the Bulldogs were really able to put their focus in. Coming out of the timeout, the Bulldogs went on a 10-2 run, settling into their lead and bringing the score to 75-66.
The Golden Bears tried to reclaim the lead, going on a 7-point scoring run, but were not able to break through. The Bulldogs got lucky with several free throws awarded to them in the last minute of the game, bringing them too far above the Golden Bears to catch up and ending the game with a Bulldog win at 80-75.
Jackson Fowlkes was the leading Bulldog scorer of the game with 14 points, followed by Caleb Siwek and Nick Katona, both with 11 points.
The Bulldogs next play Emporia State University on November 13 at 5 p.m. in St. Joseph, Missouri.