GRAND FORKS, N.D.(UND Athletics) – North Dakota (2-0) defeated Wyoming (0-1), 67-55, inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Friday afternoon. The Fighting Hawks only trailed for 18 seconds of the contest.
Kacie Borowicz paced UND with 20 points, going 4-for-4 at the charity stripe late in the game. She also dished out a team-high six assists.
Nakiyah Hurst was next in scoring for the Fighting Hawks, knocking down four shots for nine points. Seven of her points came in the third quarter alone.
Joli Daninger just missed a double-double, pulling in a career-high 12 rebounds while pouring in eight points.
Claire Orth and Juliet Gordon both added eight points as well, including 4-of-4 performances at the charity stripe.
Miranda VanderWal also chipped in eight points, barely missing a double-double with nine rebounds.
In the game, North Dakota shot 35.8 percent (24-of-67), while Wyoming made 19-of-57 shots (33.3 percent). The Fighting Hawks buried four triples and finished 15-of-17 at the charity stripe for 88.2 percent. Comparatively, the Cowgirls hit five shots from downtown and went 12-of-22 at the line.
Wyoming held a 45-44 edge in total rebounds and North Dakota held a 26-24 advantage in points in the paint. Both benches had 20 points.
Daninger got the scoring started for the Fighting Hawks, hitting the opening triple to put UND up 3-0 with 8:18 left in the quarter. North Dakota led 9-6 midway through the quarter before going on a 6-0 run with buckets from Daninger, Gordon and Hurst to build a 13-6 lead before the next Wyoming points. At the end of the opening 10 minutes, UND led 15-10.
The second stanza started much like the first, with Maggie Manson burying a shot from beyond the arc to bring the tally to 18-10. Wyoming would get within one at 24-23 after two makes at the free throw line and then a three-pointer. The Fighting Hawks responded with a 6-0 run over the rest of the period to take a 30-23 lead at intermission.
Midway through the third quarter, North Dakota held a 34-29 lead with teams trading buckets throughout. UND saw its lead cut to three at the end of the period but continued holding on to a 43-40 advantage on the scoreboard.
With 5:07 left in the game, Wyoming took its first lead at 53-52 on a layup from Grace Ellis. North Dakota would score the next seven points after that point, going 5-of-6 at the free throw line during that run to take a commanding 59-53 lead with 3:52 left in the game. The Cowgirls would make another basket and get within four at 59-55, before UND went on an 8-0 run to close out the game. The final run was highlighted by a 6-of-6 performance at the charity stripe from the Fighting Hawks, with VanderWal, Borowicz and Gordon each going 2-of-2 at the line to close out the game.
Postgame Notes
- North Dakota is off to a 2-0 start for the first time in the Division I era.
- UND is now 1-2 all-time against UW.
- The Hawks went 6-for-6 at the free throw line in the final four minutes.
- Sammiyah Hoskin made the first three of her UND career in the game.
- Nakiyah Hurst posted a season-high nine points, while hauling in three rebounds.
- Miranda VanderWal corralled nine rebounds and just missed a double-double with nine points.
- North Dakota only trailed for 18 seconds.
How It Happened
- Q1: North Dakota 15, Wyoming 10
- Q2: North Dakota 30, Wyoming 23
- Q3: North Dakota 43, Wyoming 40
- Q4: North Dakota 67, Wyoming 55
Game Recap: Women’s Basketball | 11/11/2022 4:37:00 PM | Tyler Wells, FightingHawks.com
