JAMESTOWN – Again, Dakota State was stubborn.  But University of Jamestown Men’s Basketball had enough to play at least one more.

Silas Bennion scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half Saturday to lead the Jimmies to a 76-69 win in a semifinal of the NSAA Men’s Basketball Championship at Harold Newman Arena.

UJ (17-10) led 36-34 at halftime after a first half that included eight lead changes and three ties.

The game remained tight, with Jamestown up 56-54 after a Taine Mitchell jumper for Dakota State (12-17) with 7:30 left.

Over the next 3:34, the Jimmies had a 12-5 run on two free throws each by Owen Hektner and Jimmy Llinas, three-pointers by Will Cordes and Anthony Walters, and two free throws by Bennion.  Starting with those two, Bennion scored the Jimmies’ last 12 points of the game.

Walters scored 14 off the Jamestown bench.  Llinas had his 10th double-double of the season and 17th as a Jimmie with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Lane Tietz and Tyler Beckwith led the Trojans with 13 points apiece.  Aiden Jensen and Mitchell each tallied 12.

Jamestown, who last won a conference postseason championship in the GPAC in 2019, will play for the NSAA title on Tuesday night at Dickinson State, who has beaten the Jimmies three times this season.  Coverage will begin at 7:30 PM on The Voice of the Jimmies, Jamestown 107.1.