Career-High 26 for Evans; Three Home Games Next Week
Kearney, Neb. – Four starters scored in double figures to help the 7th-ranked Minnesota-Duluth edge Nebraska Kearney, 78-72, Saturday evening in Duluth. The game was part of the annual American Family Insurance Classic. UMD, which returns the majority of its roster from a 2022 squad that won 26 games and reached the NCAAs, needed to rally past a Loper squad that was again hot from behind the arc. After sinking 15 of 33 bombs Friday vs. Bemidji State, UNK went 12 of 29 today. The makes came from seven different players with Colorado sophomore guard Sean Evans (5 of 8) having the hottest hand. The Lopers held early leads of 14-2, 17-4 and 20-12 before a veteran Bulldogs squad rallied. A 14-4 run tied things at 24 by the 7:35 mark of the half with a triple from junior guard Joshua Brown giving UMD its first lead, 27-24, soon after. Down two at the break, UNK opened up a 49-43 lead five minutes into the second half on a bucket by super senior forward Darrian Nebeker (South Weber, Utah). Duluth countered with a 12-4 run that featured seven points from redshirt senior guard Drew Blair. That gave UMD a 55-53 lead and they never trailed again. UNK never let the deficit get bigger than eight points and a Nebeker bucket made it 76-72 with 17 seconds left. However, the 'Dawgs made two subsequent free throws to finish the scoring. All-American candidate and 6-6, 220-pound junior forward Austin Andrews finished with a double double (11 points, 10 rebounds) with Blair at a team-best 21 points. He was 7 of 17 from the field and 5 of 7 at the line. Next, 6-5 senior guard Jack Middleton tallied 16 with Brown at 13. Duluth out shot UNK by five percentage points, 46-41, was plus two on the glass and had 16 more fast break points. Finally, UMD shot 29 free throws to the Lopers three. Evans tallied a career-high 26 points thanks to 10 of 16 shooting. He also went all 40 minutes with Nebeker logging 35 and tallying 19 points, five dimes and four boards. Before fouling out, Colorado sophomore wing Tom Connelly provided 10 points and four rebounds. UNK hosts NAIA Manhattan Christian (3-2) on Tuesday night.
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