(UND Athletics) GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota (6-3) defeated Weber State (4-6), 76-54, inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Saturday.
The Fighting Hawks went on a 20-4 run to build a 28-10 lead with 5:17 left before intermission. The Wildcats would trim the deficit to 13 points at 40-27 in the early moments of the third quarter but would not get closer after that point.
Kacie Borowicz paced the Fighting Hawks, pouring in a game-high 19 points while dishing out a team-high four assists. She also grabbed three boards in her 28 minutes of play.
Juliet Gordon was next with 15 points, including a triple at the buzzer to put North Dakota up 17-6 at the end of the first quarter. Gordon led UND defensively with three steals while also corralling six rebounds.
Claire Orth netted double figures, going 5-for-7 from the field and 2-for-2 at the line for 12 points. She also recorded a pair of steals in the win.
Nakiyah Hurst was the final UND player to reach double digits, netting 10 points. She also put in a season-high two makes from deep.
In the game, North Dakota went 27-for-62 from the field for 43.5 percent, added seven makes from beyond the arc and went 15-for-26 at the line. Weber State shot 30.9 percent (17-for-55), made five shots from deep and finished 15-for-17 at the stripe.
The Fighting Hawks scored 26 points off 26 Wildcat turnovers, while WSU only scored six points off 13 UND turnovers. Weber State finished with a 41-36 rebounding edge.
North Dakota opened the game with a 17-6 lead after the first frame. The Hawks built their first quarter run to 20-4 moments later to lead 28-10 with 5:17 left before intermission. At intermission, UND led 38-19 and Borowicz was the leading scorer with 11 points.
After the break, Weber State went on a 6-0 run to trim the deficit to 40-27 but North Dakota would extend its lead to 60-37 by the end of the third quarter. The Kelly green and white would build its lead to 25 points in the early moments of the fourth quarter and would go on to win by a score of 76-54.
North Dakota will return to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Monday to take on Mayville State at 6 p.m. That game is part of a doubleheader, with the men’s game to follow at 8 p.m. against North Central.
