HAVRE, Mont. — Dickinson State dropped an 86-76 decision to Montana State-Northern on Saturday night in Frontier Conference men's basketball action at Armory Gymnasium.

The Blue Hawks (3-6, 1-2 Frontier) opened the game strong, jumping out to a 6-0 lead behind early three-pointers from Griffyn Doughty and Cordell Stinson. DSU led by as many as six in the opening minutes before the Lights responded with a 10-0 run. Northern took control midway through the first half and entered the break up 40-36.

Doughty led all Blue Hawk scorers with 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. He scored 16 of his points in the second half. Stinson recorded a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Quincy Linton added 12 points and five assists, while Britton Cranston came off the bench to contribute eight points on a perfect 2-for-2 from three-point range.

As a team, Dickinson State shot 47.9% from the field and hit 11-of-23 from three-point range (47.8%). The Blue Hawks also converted 19-of-24 free throws (79.2%) and committed just eight turnovers. However, DSU struggled defensively, allowing the Lights to shoot 59.3% from the floor, including 61.5% in the second half.

Northern used a balanced offensive effort with four players in double figures and a 37-18 advantage in bench points. The Lights also held a 32-20 edge in points in the paint and capitalized on key stretches in both halves to hold off the Blue Hawks down the stretch.