Submitted photo Minot State University redshirt senior guard Cam’ron Dunfee’s (1) miracle basket as time expired in triple overtime lifted the Beavers to an 86-85 victory over Southwest Minnesota State University and secured his team a spot in the NSIC Tournament quarterfinals.

Gearing up for a run at the NSIC Tournament title, the Minot State University Beavers (11-16) entered their opening round showdown with the Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs (16-12) hungry for a win as they set their sights on bringing championship gold back to the dam.

Capping off an unforgettable triple-overtime thriller, Cam’ron Dunfee’s game-winning buzzer beater propelled Minot State to a 86-85 victory over SMSU to advance to the quarterfinal stage of the NSIC playoffs on Tuesday afternoon.

Controlling the opening tip-off, SMSU quickly implemented an inside-out strategy on the offensive end that resulted in a swing pass to redshirt freshman forward Majok Majouk in the right corner for the first points of the game to give the Mustangs a 3-0 advantage.

SMSU extended their lead to 5-0 before Minot State redshirt senior guard Cam’ron Dunfee put the first points on the scoreboard for the Beavers from the charity stripe, narrowing the Mustangs edge to 5-2 just over two minutes into the contest.

Hard-nosed defense by both teams left promising scoring opportunities in short supply and points at a premium as the Mustangs and Beavers struggled to find any offensive momentum throughout much of the middle portion of the first half of action.

With the score sitting at 19-16 in favor of Minot State with 4:22 left until halftime, the Mustangs were shooting only 7-22 from the field, while the Beavers posted a nearly identical 7-19 stat line in the same department.

Compounding problems for SMSU, two separate 8-minute stretches saw the Mustangs go dry offensively, yet still manage to stay within striking distance of Minot State despite failing to score.

Closing in on the 2-minute mark, Beavers sophomore sharpshooter Jaxon Gunville netted his third basket from deep, tallying his ninth point on 3-4 shooting from behind the arc to stretch the Minot State advantage to 25-20.

Heading into the final seconds of the half, the Beavers refused to waste any opportunity to add more points to their five-point, 27-22 lead.

Capitalizing on one last possession before heading to the locker room, Minot State junior guard Khari Broadway turned on the jets, nearly going coast-to-coast and drawing a shooting foul with less than a second left on the clock.

Connecting on the back end of his trip to the free-throw line, Broadway set the Beavers up to begin the next 20 minutes of play with a 28-22 edge.

Looking to shake off a frigid first half of scoring, SMSU generated a timely burst of points to start the second half after a deep three by Minot State’s Dunfee increased the Mustangs’ deficit to 31-22.

Sparked by a bucket under the basket by Majouk, SMSU orchestrated a 13-6 run across the opening 4:19 of the half to capture a 35-34 lead with 15:41 remaining in regulation.

Teetering back and forth on the scoreboard for much of the next eight minutes, a huge three-point basket by Beavers sophomore guard Ben Bohl, his twelfth point of the contest, gave Minot State a two-possession advantage and a 50-45 lead with 7:08 left on the clock.

Going punch-for-punch down the stretch, SMSU’s offense relied heavily on output by Omot and junior center Jake Phipps, while the Beavers’ Broadway and Bohl continued to thrive as Minot State’s reliable dual-scoring threat.

Despite time dwindling rapidly on the scoreboard, an abundance of basketball remained in store for the conference foes, thanks to a clutch free throw by the Mustangs’ Cliff McCray with 16 seconds left in regulation tying the score at 59-59 and sending the contest in to the first of three thrilling 5-minute overtime periods.

Ultimately unfolding as an NSIC playoff instant classic, the first act in the three-part overtime finale was highlighted by Minot State building a two-possession edge with 1:13 on the clock.

Nevertheless, a contested layup in the paint by SMSU’s McCray with 19 seconds left and a fearless trip to the charity stripe by Jakob Braaten, who knocked down both free throws, neutralized the Beavers’ advantage and sent the game to double overtime with the score knotted 66-66.

Entering the 45th minute of play in the contest, one possession is all that separated the Beavers and Mustangs across the whole of the second overtime, resulting in a tug-of-war for the lead.

After two lead changes and multiple ties, a beautiful perimeter jumper by Minot State’s Dunfee brought the teams to a 75-75 stalemate with 40 seconds left on the scoreboard.

Both teams mustered up a final opportunity to clinch a game-winner, but a missed 3-point attempt by SMSU’s Phipps and a contested jumper from just inside the arc by the Beavers’ Broadway that fell short sent the game into yet another round of 5-minute action.

Concluding in a climax worthy of a triple-overtime extravaganza, Minot State, having led at no point of the third overtime, saw Dunfee turn one final second and a prayer from the top of the key into a beyond dramatic walk-off victory for the Beavers, sealing their 86-85 NSIC Tournament defeat of SMSU.

Three Beavers scored in double figures on the night, led by Khari Broadway’s 19 points and followed by 18 points for Ben Bohl and 15 points, including the game winner with one second remaining, by Cam’ron Dunfee.

Following the win, Minot State head coach Matt Murken said, “We showed great toughness and great togetherness. We made some mistakes to allow it to go to overtime, but every time they made a play, we had an answer.”

Today’s victory for the Beavers sets up a quarterfinal battle with regular-season champion Northern State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.