Operation shut down Anthony Tucker was largely successful for the Minot State University men's basketball team. The Beavers weren't as adept at handling his teammates.
The Beavers limited the conference's leading scorer (22.5 points per game) to a season-low 13 points, but Taylor Filipek and Jordan Riewer scored 16 apiece to lead Minnesota State-Moorhead to an 84-53 thrashing of MSU on Friday at the MSU Dome.
Filipek's uncommonly productive night - he entered the game averaging just six points per contest - began on the first possession.
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Adam Lawson/MDN
Minot State University forward Chris East tries to get to the basket in the Beavers’ 84-53 loss to Minnesota State-Moorhead Friday night at the MSU Dome.
The 6-foot-6 junior was forced to launch a 35-footer as the shot clock expired. The heave found the net, and the versatile forward went on to put up 14 points in the first half.
"He's a capable offensive player," Moorhead coach Chad Walthall said. "He hasn't done a lot of it, but he's more than capable of putting those kind of games together."
Moorhead (6-1 overall, 1-1 Northern Sun) turned the game into a laugher early by knocking down six first-half 3-pointers and outrebounding the Beavers 23-14 before the break.
Filipek knocked down all three of his free throws after being fouled by Matt Yale with three seconds remaining in the opening half, then scored on a lefthanded drive to open the second half to give the Dragons a 48-23 lead.
"To their credit, they made a few tough shots early and we just kind of crumbled," MSU coach Matt Murken said. "We just fell apart from playing hard enough and playing smart enough."
The Dragons finished 13-of-44 from the 3-point line and the Beavers never got closer than 21 in the second half.
Tucker finished with his season-low point total on 4-of-12 shooting, but added seven rebounds and seven assists. Moorhead's star big man, 6-8 forward Alex Novak, finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
"We did a good job on Tucker and Novak got his average, but they made 13 3s," Murken said. "We knew going in ... the thing that makes them tough to guard is they have those two really good guys but that have other guys that can knock down shots. We lost them too many times."
MSU seniors Josh Johnson and Anthony Enriquez scored 12 points apiece to pace the Beavers, who shot just 2-of-14 from 3-point range and 9-of-20 from the foul line.
The Beavers host Northern State at 6 tonight at the MSU Dome. The Wolves (6-2, 2-0) beat Moorhead on Dec. 1 in both teams' conference openers.