MOORHEAD – Minnesota State Moorhead junior Ngijol Songolo smiled after he heard what percentage the Dragons shot in the first half Friday night at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse.
“I didn’t know that,” Songolo said of MSUM shooting 69 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
The No. 19-ranked Dragons raced to a 31-point halftime lead and cruised to a 99-64 victory against Minot State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference men’s basketball before 1,244 fans.
“We were fortunate that we were able to knock those down because that isn’t going to happen every game,” said Songolo, who scored 15 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the field.
MSUM (9-0, 2-0 NSIC) remained undefeated this season and has scored a combined 210 points in the past two games, its first two at home this season. The Dragons earned a 111-40 nonconference victory against Presentation College on Tuesday.
“We were definitely anxious to get back here and play in front of our home crowd,” Songolo said with the Dragons starting the season with seven consecutive games away from Nemzek.
The Dragons exploded for 55 points in the first half, fueled by runs of 10 and 12 consecutive points. Senior guard Jordan Riewer capped the run of 10 in a row, swishing a 3-pointer for a 19-9 lead with 12 minutes, 30 seconds to play in the first half.
MSUM closed the opening half with a flurry, scoring the final 12 points. Sophomore forward Matt Nelson scored four points during that span, including a layup in transition. Riewer capped the spree, making a layup with 2 seconds remaining, giving the Dragons a 55-24 lead.
MSUM shot 69 percent (20 of 29) from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Junior guard Tyler Vaughan fueled that effort, scoring 15 first-half points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field.
“I love that we play as one,” Songolo said. “We all share the ball. Nobody cares who scores.”
While the MSUM offense rolled early, Dragons head coach Chad Walthall was more pleased with the way his team played defense in the opening half. Minot State shot 37 percent (10 of 27) from the floor before halftime. The Dragons also forced nine Minot State turnovers in the first half.
“Even if we wouldn’t have shot it well, we would have been in decent shape just because of the way we guarded,” Walthall said.
The Dragons had six players who scored in double digits led by Songolo and Vaughan. They had nine players who scored at least seven points. MSUM shot 52 percent (16 of 31) from the 3-point line, leading by as many as 44 points in the second half.
“We’re a balanced team,” Walthall said. “That’s who we are. That’s our identity.”
MINOT STATE (5-2, 1-1 NSIC): McDonald 4-13 0-0 8, Mertens 3-5 0-0 6, Korf 3-5 3-3 12, Robinson 3-5 1-2 7, Prosser 4-8 0-4 8, Bari 0-0 0-0 0, Ward-Hibbert 2-2 0-1 4, Green 1-1 0-0 3, Jovanovic 0-0 1-3 1, Pelo 2-4 0-0 6, Williams 3-9 3-4 9, Rudolph 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-53 8-17 62.
MSUM (9-0, 2-0): Riewer 5-7 0-0 12, Williams 3-6 2-2 10, Lien 4-6 0-0 10, Vaughan 5-7 2-2 15, Sevlie 4-6 4-4 12, Songolo 4-6 4-4 15, Kretchman 1-4 0-0 3, Nelson 3-6 2-2 8, Bingham 3-6 0-0 7. Totals 34-58 15-16 99.
Half: MSUM 55, Minot 24. 3-point goals: Minot 6-15 (McDonald 0-4, Korf 3-4, Robinson 0-1, Green 1-1, Pelo 2-4, Rudolph 0-1), MSUM 16-31 (Riewer 2-4, Williams 2-3, Lien 2-4, Vaughan 3-4, Songolo 3-4, Kretchman 1-4, Holt 2-4, Nelson 0-2, Bingham 1-2). Total fouls: Minot 17, MSUM 17. Fouled out: Holt. Rebounds: Minot 24 (McDonald 5, Prosser 5), MSUM 36 (Songolo 6). Assists: Minot 10 (McDonald 4), MSUM 26 (Vaughan 6). Steals: Minot 2 (Green, Williams), MSUM 7 (Vaughan 4). Turnovers: Minot 10 (three players with 2), MSUM 5 (Bingham 2). A-1,244.
