Those that have been around North Dakota for a long time know just how good a trip to the south would be at around this time of the year. Luckily for Minot State University (MSU) men’s basketball, they get to endure a rare and unique road trip, where they will be spending some time in Puerto Rico.

The Beavers will be in action at the Puerto Rico classic for a three-day midseason invitational in San Juan, where they will face some local ball clubs in the tropics.

MSU sets out for Puerto Rico for the first time since early in the 2018-19 season. They had also made a prior trip during the 2014-15 season as well, so the Beavers will be coming in with some familiarity amongst the locals.

Kicking things off, MSU (2-0) will face University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras. The Beavers have a history with them, as they currently hold a 1-1 record against Rio Piedras all-time. Their first meeting was back on November 18, 2014, where the Beavers won 67-62 but then lost a nail-biter 50-49 on November 22, 2018.

Day two (Friday) will have MSU battling University of Puerto Rico – Bayamon. Just like Rio Piedras, the Beavers also contested Bayamon one time previously on November 16, 2014. Bayamon took that one by a score of 59-52.

And to wrap up the Puerto Rico Classic, MSU faces the University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez on Saturday, November 16. This will be the first time the Beavers take on Mayaguez, so there will be some newness that comes out of the trip.

MSU is off to a good start in the 2024-25 campaign, having won their first two games on the road in Duluth, MN for the Conference Challenge. The Beavers are coming off wins against East Central University (108-99 3OT) and Southeastern Oklahoma State (77-69) as new faces get adjusted and returners feel out some increased roles.

Against East Central, all 5 Beaver starters consisting of Jalen Cook, Ayouba Berthe, Caleb Van De Griend, Jaxon Gunville, and Sam West hit double-digit scoring. In the game versus Southeastern Oklahoma, 3 players hit double figures (Berthe, Gunville, and Cook) to lead the Beavers to victory.

MSU Men 77, Southeastern Oklahoma State 69

DULUTH, MN — The Minot State men’s basketball team hit 12-of-28 attempts from 3-point range, shooting 42.9 percent from deep in a 77-69 victory against the Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm on Saturday, November 9.

The Beavers (2-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Ayouba Berthe, who had 19 points and two steals. Jaxon Gunville tacked on 18 points and Jalen Cook chipped in as well with 17 points.

Minot State out-rebounded Southeastern Oklahoma State 38-35 in Saturday’s game, led by 9 boards from Sam West. The Beavers also collected 11 offensive rebounds and scored 10 second chance points.

Minot State did a great job disrupting Southeastern Oklahoma State shots in the contest, coming away with 6 blocks. West led the way individually for the Beavers with 2 rejections.

MSU Men 108, East Central University 99 (F/3OT)

DULUTH, MN — Ayouba Berthe knocked down the game-tying free throws with just three seconds left in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime, and the MSU men’s basketball team knocked off the East Central Tigers 108-99 on Friday, November 8.

Head coach Matt Murken was pleased to see a nice effort coming from a collective unit to start the 2024-25 campaign.

“Today was a total team effort. Multiple guys really stepped up and gutted out a tough win. Certainly there are a lot of things to improve but we played a team that made big shot after big shot and we still found a way to get a win,” Murken said.

The Beavers (1-0) had five players score in double figures, led by Jalen Cook, who had 27 points. Caleb Van De Griend added a double-double with 20 points and 16 rebounds and Berthe helped out with 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

The MSU offense made hay from deep, making 12 threes on 40 attempts. Jaxon Gunville hit five treys for the Beavers in the contest.

MSU did a great job disrupting East Central shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Dylan Gichaba led the way individually for the Beavers with three rejections.

How It Happened

After falling behind 33-32, Minot State went on a 5-0 run with 3:09 left in the first half to take a 37-33 lead. The Beavers then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 39-37 advantage. Minot State took advantage of 16 offensive rebounds to score 19 second chance points out of 39 total in the period.

MSU kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run to grow the lead to 62-56 with 9:42 to go in the contest. The Tigers then fought back to even things up at 71-71 and send the game to overtime. Berthe’s free throws sent the contest to an extra period with just three seconds left. Minot State took care of business in the paint, recording 16 of its 32 points in the lane.

MSU grabbed a 98-95 lead with 3:04 left in the third overtime before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Berthe’s jumper, to grow its advantage to 103-95 with 2:05 to go in the period. The Beavers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 108-99 win.