NDSU Stands Tall against Gophers; Grier Injured
Friday, November 18, 2005
North Dakota State University (NDSU) is experiencing its third year in a five-year reclassification process from NCAA Division II status to Division I.
The big question for NDSU is: What took you so long?
Before the process was initiated, the states of North Dakota and South Dakota headed the list of those in the Lower 48 without NCAA Division I basketball. In fact, North Dakota and South Dakota were the only states on that list.
NDSU’s enrollment, fan base, and the steadily growing population of the Fargo-Moorhead area (approximately 130,000) for decades have cried out for Division I status. But North Dakota’s power brokers tend to be conservative Norwegians averse to change in any form. Thus, NDSU remained a big fish in a small (Division II) pond). It should be noted that the University of Wyoming has only 1,500 more students than NDSU, and the Cowboys have been playing a national schedule for basketball and football since 1928. But progress tends to come slow in the Dakotas.
NDSU won’t be eligible for NCAA playoffs until the 2008-09 season in any sport except wrestling and women’s volleyball. Since post-season play in men’s basketball isn’t possible for the Bison, the November 18 contest with the University of Minnesota was, for NDSU, the equivalent of an NCAA tournament appearance.
From the opening tip, the Bison played as if the national title was on the line. Led by the front line of 6-9 Lucas Moormann, 6-7 Andre Smith, and 6-5 Brett Winklemann, NDSU easily outrebounded and outscored the lethargic Gophers and jumped to a 14-5 lead. Minnesota displayed little effort up front, due in no small measure to coach Dan Monson’s decision not to start 6-9 center Spencer Tollackson. Monson instead went with two forwards (Dan Coleman and J’son Stamper) and three guards (Vincent Grier, Adam Boone, and Maurice Hargrow).
Tollackson entered the game with 12:48 remaining, quickly scored seven points, and sparked the Gophers to a 22-4 run, providing Minnesota with a 27-18 lead, one it never relinquished.
It didn’t help NDSU that the Bison’s playmaking guard, Ben Woodside from Albert Lea, Minnesota, picked up his third foul only seven minutes in to the game and rode the bench for the balance of the first half.
“Woodside getting into foul trouble was the key to victory,” said Monson. Woodside was limited to playing only 23 total minutes and finished with six points.
“Ben’s our playmaker,” said NDSU coach Tim Miles. “We don’t have anyone in our lineup capable of replacing him. For us to be effective, we need to have the ball in his hands.”
Woodside, who afterward revealed that his dream as a high schooler was to play for the Gophers in Williams Arena, admitted he was keyed up before the opening tip, “and then I made some dumb fouls.”
Minnesota also took advantage of 26 Bison turnovers. “We set a team record for turnovers,” said Miles.
Grier, Minnesota’s candidate for All-America honors, poured in 13 points in the first half, including an acrobatic dunk with 2:19 remaining to give the Gophers a 31-21 lead.
Grier was the game’s overall dominant player, playing all 40 minutes and finishing with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. That Grier was needed for every play of the game against a team that only recently competed at the Division II level was a clear indication of his value to an otherwise lackluster team.
The news, following the game, that Grier had to be taken from the locker room for a detailed examination of an undisclosed injury cast a dark shadow over the Gophers’ 70-57 victory. Apparently, Grier snagged his hand in an opponent’s jersey, resulting in an injury.
Without Grier, the Gophers are no better (if not worse) than the squad put on the Williams Arena floor by NDSU.