MACOMB, Ill. (UND Athletics)- A tight finish in regulation paved the way for an overtime finish as the University of North Dakota (12-14, 6-6 Summit) picked up its first overtime win of the season at Western Illinois, 86-83. The Leathernecks (5-18, 2-11 Summit) allowed UND to go to the free-throw line 33 times in the contest.
With four Fighting Hawks finishing double figures, Marlon Stewart tallied his third double-double of the season with a career-high 17 boards with 18 points. De’Sean Allen-Eikens and Filip Rebraca each scored a team-high 19 points while Gertautas Urbonavicius scored a quiet 14 from the bench.
“I’m really proud of the way our guys were able to move on and then get back to the next play,” said Head Coach Paul Sather. “We went down to their end at the finish and fought for that loose ball and that was a moment where it was an easy opportunity to be defeated mentally, but they just kept finding ways to try and make a play.”
Scoring runs were the tale of the opening half as the Fighting Hawks opened the contest on a 10-6 run with Rebraca showing his craftiness in the post with North Dakota’s first seven points of the game.
After UND and WIU traded baskets to a 17-16 clip, the University of North Dakota separated itself from the Leathernecks at the halfway point of the period as it went on a 17-3 run to take a 15-point lead with 4:35 left, 34-19. Western Illinois responded just before the media break and carried that momentum through the timeout as it closed the half on an 11-2 run to cut the gap at halftime, 36-29.
Billy Brown lit UND’s fire to start the second half, draining a three and feeding Rebraca in the post to force a WIU timeout two minutes into the half. Stewart reached his double-double shortly thereafter when he hit a pair of shots from the free-throw line after pulling down his 10th board two possessions earlier.
High-percentage baskets were the shot of choice for UND and WIU in the first 10 minutes of play as each team shot over 56-percent from the field. As UND and WIU continued to attack, the squads found their post players in foul trouble as Rebraca and Walter each had four fouls. Western Illinois followed suit as a pair of post players also had four fouls apiece.
Allen-Eikens responded quickly for North Dakota’s forwards when he scored back-to-back baskets. North Dakota’s foul trouble allowed the Leatherneck duo Kobe Webster and Ben Pyle to tie game, 69-69, with 3:43 remaining in regulation.
Neither team was able to strike the final blow, resulting in the Hawks and Leathernecks first overtime game of the season with both teams knotted, 73-73.
The Fighting Hawks took advantage of five Western Illinois fouls in overtime as they went 9-for-10 at the free-throw line to pave the way for a 29-of-33 night at the charity stripe.
North Dakota will return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 19, hosting South Dakota State at 7 p.m., on MidcoSN.
