Ferris State Dominates Northern State At Champions Classic To Pick Up First Regular-Season Victory
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ferris State (1-2,0-0 GLIAC) | 44 | 45 | 89 |
|
Northern St. (1-2,0-0 NSIC) | 27 | 42 | 69 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ferris State (1-2,0-0 GLIAC) | 44 | 45 | 89 |
|
Northern St. (1-2,0-0 NSIC) | 27 | 42 | 69 |
Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's basketball squad picked up its first win of the season in impressive fashion as the Bulldogs recorded a decisive 89-69 win over host Northern State (S.D.) in the Small College Basketball Champions Classic held at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, S.D.
The game came in the national showcase event with the Bulldogs winning the rematch of the 2018 NCAA Division II Championship game, which FSU won over Northern State in Sioux Falls.
FSU bolted out to a 44-27 halftime lead in Friday's contest and outscored the Wolves 45-42 in the second frame to garner the win, moving to 1-2 overall in regular-season action.
Sophomore Ethan Erickson paced the Bulldogs with a team-high 18 points, going five-of-six from the three-point arc, while Deng Reng added 13 points and Vejas Grazulis scored 10 points.
The balanced effort saw a total of 11 FSU players record action and 10 scored, including nine with five points or more overall.
Ferris State shot 57% from the floor in the game and went 11-of-17 (64.7%) from the three-point line while sinking 14-of-18 (77.8%) free throws.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs held Northern State defensively to only 43.8% shooting with NSU finishing 11-of-30 (36.7%) from long range and 16-of-23 (69.6%) at the stripe.
FSU dominated on the glass by a 36-20 count and FSU finished with 14 turnovers compared to Northern State's 13 miscues. Both teams had 15 assists.
Ferris State tallied 36 points inside the paint and picked up 13 points on the offensive glass along with 24 on turnovers compared to the Wolves' 16 points inside, five on the offensive boards and 11 off turnovers. The Bulldog bench also held a commanding 51-10 margin in scoring.
Ferris State will square off against nationally top-10 ranked Minnesota Duluth in the final game of the Champions Classic on Saturday (Nov. 19) night at 9 p.m. (ET) in Aberdeen. The two teams met a year ago in Big Rapids in a double-overtime thriller.
