Coming off a disappointing loss to University of Illinois, the North Dakota State men’s basketball team was looking to put in a solid performance against Valley City State University in its home opener on Wednesday.
But with a lackluster first half and a less remarkable second half, the team did anything but that.
The biggest problem throughout the entire game was the Bison’s inability to get an offensive game going.
VCSU, a small National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school, set up in a zone defense for most of the game, and NDSU just couldn’t figure it out.
Fading away mid-range jumpers and highly contested low-post shots are what the Bison had to settle for in the first half, which led them to shoot 44 percent from the field early on.
Heading into the break, NDSU was only able to manage a 2-point lead over the visiting Vikings.
“We have to come every single day, every single half,” head coach Dave Richman said.
And the green and gold did come alive in the second half.
The defensive effort was ramped up after halftime, which, in turn, gave Richman’s team a spark on the offensive side.
NDSU held the Vikings, who shot nearly 50 percent in the first half, to just 33 percent in the second half.
Sophomore Paul Miller was also able to get going in the second half, and ended with a game-high 17 points for NDSU. Bison sophomore Malik Clements, who has been a spark plug off the bench, also helped in the late run that helped NDSU put away the Vikings.
But the 20-point blow out might be a little misleading. NDSU only shot 2 percent better from the field than its opponent and were dead even on rebounds. Nothing but the score indicates that this was a blow out win for the Bison.
NDSU’s defense, which over the years has been the strong suit, won’t be able to carry this team alone.
In the past they have had players like Lawrence Alexander and Taylor Braun who would carry them during offensive slumps, but they just don’t have a player like that on this year’s roster.
If they want to hang in the always-competitive Summit League, they will need to find a way to put the ball in the net.