HAVRE, Mont. – Bismarck State men's basketball closed out its first Montana road swing on Sunday afternoon, falling 91-56 to MSU-Northern in Frontier Conference play.
The Mystics opened the afternoon with steady offensive touches inside, but MSU-Northern's early shot-making created a quick double-digit gap. After Carter Zeller and Tristin Davis provided BSC's first burst of scoring, Houston Davis added a strong finishe to keep the Mystics within reach at 21-11 near the midway point of the opening half.
From there, the Lights' combination of perimeter pace and transition scoring began to take control. MSUN stacked together a series of threes—seven in the first half—and converted on second-chance opportunities to build a 43-19 advantage at the break. The Lights shot 16-for-31 in an efficient first half that proved hard to replicate, at least until their second half.
The Mystics responded in the second half as they shot 52.2 percent from the floor after the break, highlighted by an aggressive scoring push from Houston Davis, who poured in 14 second-half points. Tristin Davis and Zeller each knocked down timely shots to help BSC settle into a rhythm.
But, MSU-Northern was even more productive in the second half as they added on 48 points and topped their first half efficiency going 20-for-35 from the floor. The Lights finished with 13 made threes and 44 bench points, using a sustained offensive pace to maintain control throughout the final period and extend their lead in the closing minutes.
Houston Davis led the Mystics with 20 points on 5-for-10 shooting while going a perfect 9-for-9 at the line. Zeller and Tristin Davis scored 11 apiece, with Zeller adding three rebounds and a flawless 5-for-5 performance from the field. BSC shot 45.2 percent overall and 42.9 percent from three.
With the loss, Bismarck State falls to 0-9 overall and 0-5 in Frontier play. MSU-Northern improves to 5-3 and 2-2 in the conference.
The Mystics return home as they prepare for another Montana conference road trip. They take on Carroll (6-1, 5-0) on Friday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. in Helena before heading to Billings the following day to do battle with (RV) Rocky Mountain (7-1, 4-1).
They will break for the Holiday, 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 watch the team during their upcoming games.
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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