St. Louis County Tournament: Bulldogs Remain Undefeated

UMD faces MTU and NMU in the St.Louis County Tournament. Photo courtesy of UMD Athletics

UMD’s Men’s basketball team faced Michigan Tech on Friday, Nov. 22 in the St. Louis County Basketball Classic Tournament hosted by UMD in Romano Gymnasium. UMD was victorious with a score of 80-70 making them undefeated with 4-0 stats.

Michigan Tech got the first few points making it 2-0 to start the game. Nick Katona got a 3-pointer while Joshua Brown held down the fort in shots gaining the lead for the bulldogs. UMD ended the first half with a 34-23 lead against MTU. 

In the second half of the game the Bulldogs had a 10-point run, helping them stay ahead of the competition. With seven minutes left in the game the Bulldogs were up by 20 points with a score of 63-43. The Bulldogs held off the Huskies until the end with a final score of 80-70. 

Through their teamwork and coaching, UMD achieved 32 rebounds and 7 steals. MTU had 30 rebounds but only 3 steals. Brown led the pack with 20 points while Charlie Katona followed just behind him with 15 points. 

On day two of the tournament, UMD faced Northern Michigan. The teams kept tying up the score in the first few minutes of the game, eventually getting to an 8-8 tie, but the Bulldogs soon gained 10 points consecutively making the score 18-8. Both teams worked hard in the first half, ending with a score of 37-24 for a halftime lead. 

In the second half of the game UMD had an 8-point run showing their dominance in the game. The Wildcats started to catch up but it wasn’t enough to take over. The game ended with a final score of 79-67 with UMD remaining undefeated with 5-0 stats. 

The coaches used effective plays to help get the team to victory, but UMD’s teamwork is unmatched. They all worked together to help each other score. Mattie Thompson’s determination to win helped him score 22 points with Caleb Siweck not far behind with 20 points. Mattie Thompson had 32 total points, and Charlie Katona rounded out the weekend with 33 total points.

UMD faces Lake Superior State University on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. The game against the Lakers is their last non-conference game before the Bulldogs start their NSIC schedule.