DICKINSON, N.D. – Bismarck State men's basketball hit the road on Friday night for a first-ever matchup against Dickinson State (N.D.). The Frontier Conference battle would be the first varsity game between the two teams, separated by just under 100 miles. Both teams carried extra motivation into the post-Thanksgiving contest as they each eyed their first victory in the Frontier.
BSC started the night with energy, trading early possessions and working through the paint before settling into their perimeter rhythm. Tristin Davis and Houston Davis each knocked down early shots to keep the Mystics' slim advantage early.
Midway through the first half, Dickinson State leaned on its outside shooting and bench production to take control of the game, and build on a lead they would not relinquish. The Blue Hawks hit six threes in the opening half to take a 41-29 lead into halftime.
Bismarck State came out of the locker room with purpose. Less than three minutes into the second half, Houston Davis provided an eight-point burst that cut the Blue Hawks' lead to 46-37.
But DSU regrouped and responded with a wave of shot-making, fueling a decisive 21-10 stretch. The Blue Hawks' depth continued to show as they pushed their lead to as large as 34 with just under eight minutes remaining.
BSC continued to battle, generating stops and attacking the glass — highlighted by Carter Zeller's seven rebounds and Tristin Davis' playmaking — but each time the Mystics carved into the margin, Dickinson State answered with timely perimeter shooting or transition buckets. The Blue Hawks finished with 12 made threes and shot 46.3 percent from the floor to seal the 87-60 victory.
Houston Davis led BSC with 17 points and seven rebounds, going 5-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. Zeller added 12 points and seven boards off the bench, and Tristin Davis contributed 10 points and four assists. The Mystics shot 40.8 percent overall and 30.0 percent from deep. The Blue Hawks won the points in the paint battle 32-to-14.
With the loss, the Mystics fall to 0-7 overall and 0-3 in the Frontier, and DSU improves to 3-6 and 1-2 in conference play with the win.
Up next for BSC will be a weekend road trip to Montana to do battle with another team playing for their first win in Providence (Mont.) (0-9, 0-3) on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 8 p.m. CT.
Following that, they travel to Havre to face MSU-Northern (4-3, 1-2) on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. CT. They'll round out the month of December with two additional conference road games before returning to Bismarck to host Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on Monday, Dec. 29, at 6 p.m. That game will be played at Bismarck High School.
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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