By Rob Everingham
It was raining 3-pointers in the Northern Gym last weekend as the MSU-Northern Lights (11-7) came home and took on the University of Manitoba.
The Lights finished the weekend with 21 3-pointers, shooting 43.5 percent on Friday night and 45.8 percent on Saturday night from behind the arc.
Northern won both games over the Bison, 95-64 on Friday night, and the Lights broke the century mark on Saturday night with a 112-77 pounding of the University of Manitoba.
Friday, the Lights jumped out to a 13-6 lead before going on a 12-0 run to take a 25-6 lead.
The Lights held the Bison to just three field goals in the last 14 minutes of the first half to take a 47-23 half time lead.
Northern opened the second half, as they had opened the game, with a 3-pointer. The Lights' biggest lead of the game came at the 11:04 mark in the second half at 74-38, after Krste Serafimoski capped off a three-point play.
The University of Manitoba then went on a 13-0 run, but still trailed by 23 points.
The Lights held off the Bison's charge to wrap up the win.
Keith Carothers led six Lights in double figures with 19 points. Dustin Endsley had 14, Michael Claxton had 13, and Chad Mayer and Bruce Stacy each had 11, while Powell Becker finished with 10.
Saturday night was the same story, as they Lights jumped out to a 23-4 lead with 12:31 left in the first half.
Northern took control early and never looked back, taking a 55-29 lead at the break.
It was more of the same in the second half, as the Lights kept the pace up and kept pushing the score up.
The Lights' biggest lead came with 7:12 to go in the second half, as Chad Meyer finished off a three-point play to put Northern up, 96-56.
Again Saturday night, the Lights put six players into double figures with Serafimoski leading the way with 20 points. Claxton knocked in 18, Mel Stubblefield had 17. Endsley finished the game with 12 while Russell Keller and Meyer each had 11.
The Lights had just five turnovers on Saturday night.
Northern head coach Tim Walker said he was most happy with the way they executed on Saturday night.
The Lights shot the ball well both nights which, Walker said, will be a big confidence booster for his squad.
Walker said the key to their success in these two games was patience. He said they did not take the quick shot, but made three or four passes and found the open man.
The Lights faced a zone defense on Friday and Saturday night, and, Walker said, this will be the last zone they will probably see.
Walker said they will have to work on their defense a lot this week before conference place starts Saturday night against Rocky.
The University of Manitoba is a team that does not run the floor and the Lights pushed the tempo and were successful, but, Walker said, he knows that will change with the start of the conference schedule.
Walker also said he would like to thank assistant coach Jon Hanson.
"He does a great job behind the scenes," Walker said. "He comes in early and stays late."
Manitoba
64
MSU-Northern
95
Manitoba -- C. Jeffrey 1-2 2-2 4; C. Luras 2-4 4-5 9; T. Opunaki 0-4 2-4 2; R. Dudler 2-5 4-6 8; M. Lechauseur 1-4 2-2 4; P. Fust 3-9 4-4 5; O. Okwunmabua 4-10 3-4 11; Wiebe 3-3 0-0 6; C. Yarwood 5-8 0-0 10. Totals: 21-50 21-31
MSU-N -- R. Keller 1-3 1-6 3; M. Claxton 4-6 2-2 13; B. Stacey 2-5 6-6 11; M. Stubblefield 2-6 4-4 9; D. Endsley 6-14 0-0 14; P. Becker 4-7 2-4 10; K. Carothers 8-10 1-2 19; C. Meyer 4-6 2-2 11; K. Serafinoski 2-3 1-1 5. Totals: 33-60 19-27.
Halftime: MSU-N 47, Man 23. Three-pointers: Man 1 (C. Luras 1-3); MSU-N 10 (Claxton 3-4, Stacey 1-4, Stubblefield 1-4, Endsley 2-5, Carothers 2-3, Meyer 1-2); Rebounds: Man 30 (Yarwood 7); MSU-N 27 (Carothers 5). Assists: Man 9 (Luras 5); MSU-N 13 (Stubblefield 5); Total fouls: Man 23, MSU-N 23. Fouled out: None
Manitoba
77
MSU-N
112
Manitoba -- Jonathan Lundren 1-3 0-0 3; Cuff Jeffrey 0-2 1-2 1; Chris Lucas 1-1 2-2 4; Tosin Opanubi 1-3 1-3 3; Ryan Dalder 5-6 4-4 15; Matthew Lachasseur 2-9 0-0 5; Paul Fust 1-5 2-3 4; Ogo Okwumabua 3-8 9-9 15; David Wiebe 5-8 1-1 11; Chad Yarwood 7-8 0-0 14; Stephen Robins 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 27-54 20-24 77.
MSU-N -- Russell Keller 5-5 1-1 11; Michael Claxton 6-9 4-5 18; Bruce Stacey 2-8 0-0 6; Mel Stubblefield 6-9 1-2 17; Dustin Endsley 4-8 3-3 12; Powell Becker 3-6 2-4 8; Keith Carothers 3-8 5-2 9; Chad Meyer 3-8 5-5 11; Krste Serafimoski 8-11 3-4 20. Totals: 40-71 21-26 112.
Halftime: MSU-N 11-24 (Claxton 2-4, Stacey 2-5, Stubblefield 4-6, Endsley 1-3, Becker 0-1, Carothers 1-3, Meyer 0-1, Serafimoski 1-1); Rebounds: Man 30 (Wiebe 4); MSU-N 33 (Meyer 9); Assists: Man 16 (Fust 7); MSU-N 23 (Becker 6); Steals: Man 3 (Lundred 1, Jeffrey 1, Fust 1); MSU-N 7 (Claxton 3); Turnovers: Man 18, MSU-N 5. Total fouls: Man 20 (Fouled out: none); MSU-N 21 (Fouled out: Claxton); Tech. fouls: Man bench. A -- 1,000.
