UMC Golden Eagle News Archive:
June 6, 2006 - July 1, 2009

(Grand Forks, N.D.)- The University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) men’s basketball team opened the University of North Dakota Thanksgiving Classic tonight against host UND. The team opened the game on a 5-0 run and scored 14 points on turnovers to take a 29-27 half-time lead. However, the Sioux came out in the second half and went on a 10-3 run in the first four minutes and wouldn’t look back, taking the home court victory 76-61.

Both teams struggled slightly in the first half with UMC shooting 33.3% from the field while UND didn’t fair much better shooting 38.5%. The score was tied twice while the lead changed four times in a busy first half. Bryce Cummings (So., G, Mukwonago, Wis.) led UMC and all scorers in the half with 11 points. He went 3-11 from the field, 2-5 from long range and 3-4 from the free-throw line in 19 minutes of first half play. Aaron Smith (Sr., G, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) finished the half with seven points and three rebounds for the Golden Eagles. UND was led by Emmanuel Little’s eight points.

In the second half, UND used the first four minutes to take a quick 37-32 lead. At the 11:45 mark, UND upped their lead on a 22-9 run. The Golden Eagles fought back and got within six points with 3:26 left. UMC had a chance to cut the lead to four but missed several clutch free-throws down the stretch to help UND hold onto the victory. UND’s Emmanuel Little broke lose in the second half, scoring 18 points to finish with a game-high 26 points. Bryce Cummings led UMC with 19 points in the game. The big stat tonight was UMC’s shooting from the free-throw line. As a team, the Golden Eagles went 19-33 (57.6%) from the charity stripe and struggled especially in the second half, only converting on 12 of 23 chances to close out the game.

Tonight’s loss drops the Golden Eagles to 0-3 on the season. The Sioux advance to 1-3 in non-conference play. UMC plays Montevallo tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m. in the second round of the UND Thanksgiving Classic.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at: www.goldeneaglesports.com  

The University of Minnesota, Crookston is a NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Golden Eagle Hockey is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).