BISMARCK, N.D. – Bismarck State men's basketball was back at the Armory on Saturday evening for their Frontier Conference matchup against Carroll (Mont.). The game marked the Mystics' second home NAIA contest and another tough test in their first weekend of Frontier play.
Playing their fourth game in five days, BSC faced a 4-1 Fighting Saints squad, also on the second day of a back-to-back, having defeated Dickinson State 85-57 the previous night.
The Saints struck first, but unlike the night before, the Mystics were ready to trade blows early. BSC attacked the paint, knocked down timely threes, and held Carroll to just 1-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc in the opening period.
Behind a balanced offensive push from Houston Davis, William Ware, and Avery Wesley, the Mystics surged to a seven-point lead late in the first half — their largest of the night — and carried a 40-33 advantage into the final two minutes.
However, Carroll closed the half on a 10-0 run, punctuated by a layup from Isaiah Crane with two seconds left, sending BSC to the locker room trailing 43-40.
The Mystics refused to fold. Davis knocked down a three less than two minutes into the second half, and BSC pulled within a point multiple times as the teams exchanged early buckets.
But Carroll's depth began to take hold. The Saints shot 50 percent after the break, and Drew Jones and Kellen Harrison combined for 26 second-half points to help rebuild the lead.
BSC continued to chip away, but each time the Mystics closed the gap, the Saints responded with inside scoring or points off turnovers. Carroll finished with 32 points off BSC miscues.
Carroll pulled away and built their largest lead of the night at 16 with 6:10 remaining in the second half and held off the resilient Mystics to earn the 94-82 win. Lorence De La Cruz led all scorers with 21 points and eight steals, while Harrison and Nate Christy each added 17.
Houston Davis paced BSC with 17 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Ware added 16, Wesley scored 14 while dishing out four assists, and Radoniqi delivered a season-high 16 off the bench. The Mystics shot an impressive 52.8 percent from the field and 83.3 percent at the line, while also winning the rebounding battle 39-27.
The Mystics fall to 0-6 overall and 0-2 in Frontier play, while Carroll improves to 4-1 and remains unbeaten in the conference.
BSC will return to action on Friday, Nov. 28, when they travel west to take on Dickinson State at 8 p.m. CT.
Check out the men's schedule for information on how to follow and attend the next home game.
Be sure to visit BSCMystics.com and download the MysticNation app to continue to stay up to date with everything going on in Mystic Athletics.
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