SIOUX FALLS, S.D., March 9 ? Southern Utah's three seniors all scored in double figures but three of North Dakota State's four did as well, propelling the Bison to a 79-67 win over the Thunderbirds in the Summit League semi-finals.
    Tyler Quinney scored 24 points and tied his career-high with 10 rebounds while John Clifford posted his eighth double-double of the season, scoring 19 and pulling down 11 boards for SUU. Dave Marek, the only four-year letterman on the squad, added 16 points, with two assists and two steals, but NDSU shut down Thunderbird leading scorer Davis Baker, limiting him to eight points, one night after he led SUU to a 53-48 win over IUPUI with 25.
    North Dakota State countered with 22 points from Mike Nelson, 21 from Ben Woodside and 15 from Brett Winkleman, while sophomore Michael Tveidt chipped in 12 for the Bison.
    Southern Utah scored the first four points of the game but their last lead, 21-20, came with 8:13 to go in the first half when Clifford scored inside.
    NDSU went on a 17-4 run over the next five minutes, however, building a 37-25 advantage before taking an eight-point lead into halftime.
    Southern Utah pulled back within six several times in the second half in a game that NDSU never really put away until the final minute.
    “They went on that run late in the first half and we were never really able to recover,” SUU Coach Roger Reid said. “We played a good, game, I'm proud of the effort our team made, and if [NDSU] had slipped up they would have lost but they didn't. They're an experienced basketball team that executed and didn't make mistakes. Once they got the lead they were able to keep it. We made runs at them, but they hit shots when they needed to.”
    Nelson almost single-handedly kept the Thunderbirds at bay in the second half, scoring nine straight Bison points from the 10:34 mark until 6:27 remained to keep NDSU with a 10-point advantage, but down the stretch is was Woodside, The Summit League's player of the year, who clinched it for the Bison.
    After Nelson staked the Bison to a 68-55 lead with a 3-pointer with 4:00 to play, Woodside hit seven-of-eight free throws in the final three minutes to hold off the Thunderbirds.
   
-- SUU --